


you make me brave (among other things)

by untreasuring



Category: Divergent Series - Veronica Roth, Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Divergent AU, F/F, Graphic Violence, Hosie, Non-Consensual, Past Child Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Slow Burn, Weapons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:41:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23904814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/untreasuring/pseuds/untreasuring
Summary: In a dystopian post-war world in the city of Chicago, society is divided into five separate factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue in an effort to maintain peace. Candor (the honest), Amity (the kind), Erudite (the intelligent), Abnegation (the selfless), and Dauntless (the brave).On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must ceremoniously select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Josette Saltzman, the tough decision is between staying alongside her family or being who she truly is - she can't have both. On the day of the Choosing Ceremony, she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 83
Kudos: 187





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> im truly a sucker for the divergent series as well as hosie so this is my attempt at being creative. this will probably flop and i will be embarassed but feel free to leave your thoughts anyways. 
> 
> also ps, this won't be identical to the series but i will definitely be drawing a lot of inspiration from it and putting my own twists fyi.

Josette Saltzman knows she's lucky to be in the city.

It's said the war was excruciating, that the world surrounding the city was obliterated until purely nothing but ash and debris remained. The founders built the barrier surrounding the city for protection, and developed a newfound system for society, dividing the citizens into five separate factions to keep the peace.

The smart ones, those who value knowledge and order and defy ignorance, are known as Erudite. They preach their concept that ignorance is defined not as stupidity, but as a lack of knowledge. They believe with a shared interest of knowledge and logical solutions, they can conquer against the disconnection among people with differences. Erudite knows everything about everything, and aren't afraid to prove themselves with statistics.

Amity, those who value peace and harmony above all else. They take pride in their comfortable states of kindness and tranquility, believing cruel thoughts hurt the speaker as much as it's target, therefore there is no need for such thoughts. Amity's always happy, and willing to serve as they tend to animals and farm the lands that lie close among the barrier of the city.

Candor value honesty and order, believing anything can be resolved with the utmost truth. They express themselves through the mortality of truth, so much so to the point of it sometimes being tactless, and even painful to themselves and others. Acting accordingly to their idea that if a person willingly shares all their secrets, they have no desire to lie about anything because the truth is already out in the open, freeing themselves from their own mind. Candor's principle is honesty, and they take pride in the truth, even when you wish they wouldn't.

Dauntless. Otherwise known as the city's protectors, soldiers, and police. Dauntless are those who are brave through thick and thin, seemingly almost fearless despite anything. They strive off their pride of courage and indestructibility, pushing themselves to serve in pure confidence for the greater good. They believe in ordinary acts of bravery, the courage that drives one person to stand up for another. They're the shouting voice for those who can only whisper, the strong defense for those who are helpless. Most people think Dauntless are crazy, which granted, they kind of are, but Josette always thought they were amazing. Brave, fearless, and truly free.

Then, there is Josette's faction. Abnegation, also called "stiffs" by most of the other factions for the fact Abnegation oppress their own needs despite anything. Those that value selflessness and care, valuing the need of others above the need of oneself, or as they claim, "They Before I". They choose to turn away from their own reflection, physically never looking for too long in the mirror, and choose to rely not on themselves, but on others, to project outwards until they disappear. It's a simple life, living by the dedication of always helping others, even taking the time to provide food for the Factionless, those who don't have a place in society. Being public servants, as their faction is the most incorruptible due to the commitment of selflessness, Abnegation is trusted to run the government.

It's a complex system, but it's been the way of life for years since the war. It all works, everyone knows where they belong... except for Josette.

***

There's an art to losing yourself, or at least that's what Josette's mother had always told her for years. Of course, the brunette hasn't yet figured it out.

She's supposed to never think of herself, dedicated to the concept of selflessness, it's all about helping others and relying on your surroundings, alongside a concrete rule of never looking too long into a mirror, as it would defy all her principles.

There's only one mirror in the brunette's unadorned home, located behind a sliding panel in the hallway upstairs. The rule is, she's only allowed in front of it on the first day of every third month, the day her mother cuts her hair for her.

Josette sits silently on the stool, her mother behind her with a pair of scissors. Every few seconds, she glances down to see brunette strands fallen to the floor, shaping a dull ring. It never takes long for her hair to be trimmed, noting that her mother is now finished and pulling her freshly trimmed hair to the back of her head and twisting it into a knot.

Josette notices how calm her mother appears, how focused she is, despite the fact this may be the last time she ever cuts her daughter's hair for her. It's seemingly obvious the woman is well practiced in the art of losing oneself.

Sneaking a look at her reflection whilst her mother isn't paying attention out of pure curiosity, Josette sees a slim face, chocolate colored eyes alongside long eyelashes, and pink tinted lips that seem to pout. She thinks she still looks like a little girl despite the fact she'd turn sixteen within the last few months. While the other factions celebrate birthdays, Abnegation doesn't, as it would be self-indulgent.

"There." Caroline smiles as she pins the brunette's hair in place. Josette's eyes catch her mother's in the mirror as it's too late to look away, and rather than being scolded, her mother smiles warmly at her.

"Are you nervous?"

Josette stares blankly at her reflection for a moment, as if remembering her life is truly about to change into something unknown. Today's the day of the aptitude test, the test that reveals her future and tells her which of the five factions she belongs in. Tomorrow is the Choosing Ceremony, where she'll be given the choice to choose freely from those five factions, to decide the route that determines the rest of her life, whether she'll stay with her family, or be forced to abandon them completely.

Faction before blood.

"No." Josette mutters, although she doesn't entirely believe herself. "Were you? For your test?"

"Mmm, no," Caroline hums with a small hint of humor. "I was terrified."

Chuckling softly, the brunette peers behind her to look into her mother's eyes as the woman gently grasps her face within her palm.

"But I didn't have any reason to be, and neither do you." Caroline presses a chaste kiss to the brunette's cheek before sliding the panel over the mirror. "Come on, let's go get breakfast before you have to get to school."

Josette thinks her mother is beautiful despite the idea of beauty being rather forbidden in her faction.

Her body is thin beneath the gray robe required for Abnegation clothing. Her mother has high cheekbones and pale blue eyes beneath her dark lashes, and when she lets her hair down at night, it hangs in blonde curls over her shoulders. Her mother is beautiful, but beauty is looked at as a form of selfishness, so she must conceal herself in the faction, confining to the stereotypical ideals of the rules.

Walking alongside her mother, the brunette enters the kitchen. On these mornings when her sister cooks breakfast, and her mother occasionally peers at her with light in her eyes whilst she sets the table, and her father's hand gently skims her hair whilst he reads the morning paper - it is on these mornings that she feels the guiltiest for wanting to leave them.

Of course, she fears her test results will tell her she doesn't belong in Abnegation, only providing further reason for her to abandon her family, but she fears above all that it'll tell her to stay.

***

Josette grimaces as she finds the bus reeks of exhaust, and when it drives over a patch of uneven pavement, it rocks her from side to side, causing her grip on the seat beneath her to tighten. Glancing around, she finds her twin sister, Elizabeth, standing in the aisle holding a railing to keep herself steady.

Although they're twins, they don't look alike. Elizabeth holds many features of their mother's, having the same blonde hair and blue eyes. Josette shares more features with her father, having dark hair and dark eyes, but she does get her wavy hair from her mother.

She thinks her sister is beautiful too, despite the idea of beauty being forbidden in her faction. If her sister wasn't Abnegation, surely the boys at school would stare at her.

Her sister had also inherited her mother's talent of selflessness, as she gave her seat to a man from Candor without hesitation. For her sister, it's more than easy, and Josette find's herself questioning how she always seems to put others first without a second thought.

The man from Candor wears a black suit with a white tie, the standard wardrobe colors signifying their beliefs and values. Their faction sees the truth as black and white, therefore, that is what they wear. Each faction wears different colors, expressing what they stand for through the color of their clothing. For Abnegation, it's modest and concealed, wearing only gray and covering as much skin as possible.

The bus suddenly passes beneath elevated tracks, bumping slightly. The brunette has never been on the trains as the only faction that rides them is Dauntless. Josette peers toward her sister once again, finding the blonde's expression to be placid. Her gray robe hangs slightly off her arm, revealing the skin of her wrist as she clutches the railing.

The bus comes to a jolted stop in front of the school, and Josette raises from her seat, passing by the man from Candor. She stumbles slightly over her long robe, gripping her sister's arm for balance.

They walk alongside each other towards the school among the numerous buildings throughout the city, all made up of glass and steel. They pass by a particular high-scale building of purely glass, and the brunette recognizes it as one of the infamous buildings that Dauntless climb after school, daring each other to see who can climb the fastest.

"Aptitude tests are today." Josette says, glancing towards her sister.

Elizabeth simply nods as they pass through the front doors of the school, making their way towards the upper levels of the building, where the rest of the sixteen year olds are for their last day. The atmosphere feels suffocating as she walks in.

"You're not worried at all?" The brunette asks.

Elizabeth raises an eyebrow. "Are you?"

"Not really." Josette lies, forcing a small smile. She could be honest with her sister, admitting she'd been worried for weeks about what the test will reveal.

Who is she truly - Abnegation, Candor, Erudite, Amity, or even Dauntless?

"Well... just relax, and trust the test. It's simple, really." Elizabeth smiles back before beginning to walk in the direction of her own first class. "Have a good day."

Josette sighs before walking towards her first class, Faction History. The hallways are cramped with kids from all different factions, as school is one of the only places where factions are a mixture rather than being separated. The crowd is busy and mostly optimistic as it's the last day before a new future comes.

A taller boy wearing a light blue sweater - Erudite - purposely shoves his shoulder hard against the brunette, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground.

"Get the hell out of my way, Stiff." He snarls aggressively before continuing to walk down the hallway.

Josette's face feels incredibly warm as she lifts herself up from the ground, brushing off her gray robe. She feels everyone's eyes on her as she quickly walks down the hallway, not surprised that nobody had offered to help her up.

The discrimination towards the Abnegation faction had always been an occurrence, now more than ever it seems. The Erudite faction specifically have been releasing antagonistic behavior towards Abnegation, effecting the way the students of both factions interact in school.

The gray clothing, plain hairstyle, and unassuming demeanor of the brunette's faction are supposed to make it much easier for her to forget herself, along with everyone else forgetting her too. She finds it makes her a target more than anything.

Josette pauses by a window in the hallway, her eyes on the train tracks waiting for Dauntless to arrive soon.

Every morning, at exactly 7:25, the Dauntless faction express their obvious bravery by jumping from the rapidly moving train, cheering through the air enjoying the freedom their faction gives them.

Her father, Alaric, had always called the Dauntless faction "hellions". From their all black clothing, their piercings and tattoos, to their rowdy and unapologetic behavior of mischievousness. Their purpose as a faction is to guard the barrier of the city, from what exactly, she's not for sure.

She knows she should be frankly perplexed by the faction, as it's the complete opposite in every way of her own. She should wonder what courage has to do with permanent ink on skin or metal pierced through flesh, but instead, her eyes always seem to cling to the faction wherever they go.

It's almost like a magnetic pull, she just can't look away.

Even from in the building, the train whistle blares loudly, the sound resonating in Josette's chest. As the last few cars of the train appears, a mass of young men and women in dark clothing hurl themselves from the moving cars, most landing their jump perfectly to the ground whilst others stumble slightly before gaining their balance.

Watching them is a foolish practice, the brunette knows. She forces herself to look away before darting through the crowd of students to get to the Faction History classroom.

***

The aptitude tests begin after lunch. Josette sits beside her sister surrounded by the rest of the sixteen year old students at the long marble tables in the cafeteria while the test administrators periodically call ten names at a time, one for each testing room.

The test administrators are mostly from Abnegation and volunteering, although their is one administrator from Erudite and one from Dauntless to test the sixteen year olds from Abnegation, as the rule states she can't be tested by someone from her own faction.

The rule also states nobody is able to prepare for the test in any way, so truthfully, the brunette has no idea what to expect. The only thing she can think about is the speech that finished just a short moment ago, the speech that the Erudite test administrator was required to give before testing began.

"One hundred years ago, after the war, our founders created a system they believed would prevent future conflict among society and create lasting peace. Today, aptitude testing based on your personality will assign you to one of the factions, revealing where you truly belong. While it is our belief that choosing the faction indicated by your test is the best way to ensure success within the faction system, it is your right tomorrow at the Choosing Ceremony to choose any of the five factions, regardless of your test results. However, once your choice has been made, there will be no change permitted. As always, faction before blood."

Josette's gaze shifts towards the Dauntless tables across the room. They're laughing and playing cards, chatting rather loudly with each other.

At another set of tables, Erudite talk over books and the day's newspaper on their obsessive, constant pursuit of knowledge.

A group of Amity girls dressed in their colors of yellow and red sit neatly in a circle on the tiled floor, playing some type of hand-slapping game.

At the table next to them, Candor boys make wild gestures with their hands, seemingly arguing. It must not be serious, the brunette notes, as some of them are smiling.

The Abnegation table is silent as they wait. Faction customs dictate behavior and supersede individual preference, and while the brunette doubts Erudite want to always study all the time or Amity wants to smile until their face is permanently stuck that way, they can't defy against the norms if their factions.

Josette counts the minutes in her head as she stares blankly at the marble table until suddenly Elizabeth's name is called, causing her to glance towards her sister. The blonde stands and moves confidently towards the exit, no doubt trusting the test will turn out just fine. She knows where she belongs, it's obvious she always has.

Josette's earliest memory of her sister is when they were five years old, and the blonde scolded her for not giving up her place at the swing-set for another child. Her sister doesn't bother to lecture her often, but she has her look of disapproval thoroughly memorized. She's tried countless times to calmly explain to her sister that they don't share the same natural instincts, but Elizabeth just doesn't understand.

"Just do what you're supposed to do, it's that simple." Elizabeth always says.

Josette sighs quietly as her stomach twists in knots. She closes her eyes tightly, keeping them closed until about ten minutes later when Elizabeth sits back down beside her.

She's as pale as a ghost, pushing her palms against her gray robe to wipe off sweat, and the brunette notices how her fingers shake slightly. She opens her mouth to ask if she's alright, until she remembers. She's not allowed to ask her sister about her results, as her sister is not allowed to tell her or anyone else.

An Abnegation volunteer walks into the cafeteria now, and speaks the next round of names. She zones out until suddenly: "From Abnegation: Josette Saltzman."

Josette stands immediately only because she's supposed to, if it were up to her, she would stay seated for the rest of her time for her own sake. She can't shake the nervous feeling that seems to flood within her, the knots in her stomach doubling in intensity while she takes a deep breath to calm herself before walking towards the exit. There's a crater in her chest that expands in weight by the second, her hands seem to shake relentlessly, and she has to grip the hem of her gray robe to steady them.

Finding herself in front of her assigned testing room, Josette walks in slowly to find a woman from Dauntless already inside. She notices the woman is not as severe-looking as she would assume. The woman has dark straight hair, sharp eyebrows, and she wears a black blazer and jeans. It's only when she turns slightly that a tattoo on the back of her neck reveals itself, a black hawk with a red eye. The brunette wants to ask her what it means, if only her heart hadn't migrated straight to her throat.

Mirrors cover most of the walls of the room, and Josette can see her rare reflection from every angle. The ceiling glows white with bright lights, even though the sun shines outside through the singular window in the room. In the center of the room beside the Dauntless woman is a reclined chair with a machine next to it.

The brunette glances toward her reflection again out of pure curiosity.

"I never understood what it is with you Abnegation and mirrors."

The woman's voice surprises Josette, not expecting her to comment on her faction, but she shrugs. "We reject vanity."

"I know." The woman mutters with a hint of humor in her tone. "Have a seat. My name is Tori, I'll be administering your test."

Clumsily, Josette slides in the reclined chair, lying against the headrest and squinting slightly against the bright lights. It hurts her eyes, so she opts to glance to the side and watch as the Dauntless woman, Tori, busies herself with the computer-like machine.

"Why the hawk?" Josette blurts out before she can stop herself, but curses herself in her mind. Her curiosity is a mistake, a betrayal of her faction's values. She tries not to flinch as Tori attaches an electrode to the side of her head.

"Never met a curious Abnegation before." Tori says as if she's confused, cocking an eyebrow slightly.

"In some parts of the ancient world, the hawk symbolizes the sun. I got the tattoo because I figured if I always had the sun on me, I wouldn't be afraid of the dark."

Josette perks up slightly when Tori presses another electrode to the opposite side of her head. She tries to stop herself from asking another question, but she can't. "You're afraid of the dark?"

"I was afraid of the dark." Tori corrects the brunette. "Now, it just reminds me of the fear that I've overcome."

Squeezing the armrests tightly, Josette takes a deep breath to calm herself. Only a moment passes before Tori holds a small glass with a clear liquid inside, attempting to pass it to her. "Drink this."

"Why?" Josette's voice wavers slightly, her throat feeling nearly swollen. "What will happen?"

"I can't tell you, just trust me and drink it."

Josette takes a deep breath before swiftly downing the contents in the glass, closing her eyes tightly afterwards.

She opens them after a short second, finding herself standing alone in the cafeteria of her school. All the marble tables are empty, nothing and nobody in sight, and she notices that it's snowing outside from the tall window overlooking the train tracks.

There's a small glass table in front of her, two baskets placed on top. One holds a large steak, and the other holds a rather long and sharp looking knife.

A feminine voice suddenly sounds throughout the room. "Choose."

"Why?" Josette asks, confused. She glances around only to find no one is there before turning back to the table in front of her. "What will I do with them?"

"Choose, before it's too late." The voice sounds harsher as it repeats itself.

The brunette crosses her arms, her fear and confusion disappearing as stubbornness takes over. She refuses to give in without a good enough reason.

"Fine, be that way." The voice says with an attitude.

The table along with its contents suddenly disappears, and Josette hears the sound of a door creaking. She turns toward the entrance of the cafeteria, her eyes widening when she sees a large wolf-like dog with a long snout standing a few yards away. It crouches low and begins to creep towards her, its shoulders hunching and sharp teeth appearing as it snarls.

A savage growl sounds loudly from the dog, sending chills down Josette's spine. She can see why the basket's contents would've came in handy, but it's too late now. She knows she can't run, as the dog will obviously be faster than her, nor can she try to wrestle it to the ground. Her head pounds as she thinks of a decision to make, and as the dog continues to creep closer, the growling grows louder, and she thinks she can almost feel the sound vibrating throughout her skull.

She can't run. She can't fight. She only watches as the dog comes closer, noticing the details of its dark fur, and how there are no whites within its eyes, only a black abyss. The brunette's breathing is loud yet steady as she finally decides to sink down to her knees, finding it must be the closest thing she can do as a sign of submission. Of course, lying down on the ground in front of the vicious creature - its teeth exactly level with her face - is the last thing she wants to do, but she doesn't have any other option.

Closing her eyes and lowering her head, Josette stills as the dog creeps even closer until its warm breath fans against her face. She shakes slightly as it barks in her ear, and she clenches her teeth to keep quiet.

Something wet and rough suddenly glides against her cheek, and when the brunette lifts her head, she finds the dog panting, the growling ceased. The dog had licked her face.

Josette frowns slightly as she sits back on her heels, watching as the dog props its large paws up on her knees and licks her chin. She cringes slightly but can't help the laughter that escapes through her smile.

"You're not so vicious after all, huh?"

Josette lifts from the ground slowly, although the dog is now gentle, she still doesn't want to startle it.

She closes her eyes in a sense of relief, and when she opens them, she finds a little girl dressed in Abnegation clothing standing only a yard away. Her eyes are wide and she smiles brightly as she stretches out both her hands in the air. "Puppy!"

The little girl begins to run towards the dog, and Josette opens her mouth in an attempt to warn her, but she's too late. The dog snarls and snaps viciously as it starts to sprint at the little girl, attempting to pounce. The brunette doesn't hesitate to act, she hurls her body on top of the dog, wrapping her arms around its chest.

When her head collides with the ground, the dog and the little girl have vanished and she's no longer in the cafeteria. Josette finds herself standing in aisle of a still bus. Beside her is an older man holding a newspaper with rather calloused hands.

"Do you know this guy?" The man suddenly speaks to her with an urgent tone. He lightly taps the picture on the front of the newspaper, and the brunette reads it.

_"Brutal Murderer Finally Apprehended!"_

Josette shutters slightly at the word 'murderer'. It fills her with dread, not knowing what is it come. The picture on the newspaper reveals a man with a beard and a plain face.

It feels as if the brunette does in fact know the man in the paper, although she's not for sure how exactly. She isn't sure it'd be a smart idea to inform the man of what she knows, anyways.

" _Well?_ " The man asks angrily. "Do you?"

Josette's heart pounds as she glances around nervously, unsure of what to do. She knows it's a bad idea. If she tells the man that she knows the murderer, she knows something bad will happen to her. She realizes she can convince the man that she doesn't know what he's talking about, although it would be a lie.

The brunette clears her throat and shrugs slightly. Her fear is irrational, but she knows this is just a test. None of it is real.

"No," She says, her voice casual. "No idea who he is."

The man's mouth bends into a snarl as he lowers the newspaper from in front of his face. He leans in closer and the brunette grimaces at the strong stench of cigarettes that radiates from his breath.

" _You're lying!_ " He growls. "I can see it in your eyes."

"I'm not lying." Josette straightens herself higher in confidence, although she feels weak against the man.

"If you know him," The man speaks in a low voice. "you could save me. _You could save me!_ "

"I'm sorry, I don't know him."

Everything darkens in an instant, and Josette wakes with sweaty palms and a pang of guilt in her chest.

She's lying in a reclined chair of a mirrored room, recognizing it as the testing room, which means her aptitude test must be over. She glances towards the side to see Tori reaching for the electrodes attached to her head, and the brunette notices how wide her eyes are, how her lips are pressed in a thin line, and how it's obvious she seems panicked.

Josette waits for Tori to say something, anything really, about how the test had went. Was it over? Did she do well, although how could she possibly fail a test that reveals the true aspects of her character? Tori is only silent as she studies the computer-like machine.

Sitting forward and wiping her palms against her gray robe, Josette wonders if she had done something wrong, even if the test was only in her mind. Is the strange expression on Tori's face because she doesn't know how to tell the brunette what a terrible person she is?

"That... was perplexing." Tori finally speaks, although her voice seems reserved and quiet. "Excuse me, I'll be right back."

Josette watches as she leaves before she brings her knees to her chest and rests her head against them. She wishes she felt like crying, because at least tears could give her some sort of relief.

How could she possibly fail something like this? She grows more nervous as the minutes pass, and the thought of possibly being Factionless wonders into her mind. It would mean she's not destined to fit in anywhere, she would live on the streets in poverty and filth among the rest of the Factionless people.

To be Factionless is not only to be living in poverty, it is to be secluded from society, deprived of true life, love, and community. That's certainly not her destiny, she refuses it. Her mother had once told her that some may be able to survive alone, but thriving was never a possibility. Without a faction, there is no purpose or real reason to live.

The door of the testing room finally opens, revealing Tori quickly walking in before shutting the door carefully. She clears her throat before saying, "Sorry to worry you."

The brunette notices she still looks tense and pale, and as another silent moment passes, she decides she's had enough of the wondering.

"What was my result?" Josette asks in a harsh tone, her eyes scanning Tori carefully as she stands beside the brunette with her hands buried in her pockets, the nervous look on her face never ceasing.

"Abnegation..." Tori says in a rush. "Erudite, and Dauntless."

Josette frowns, the panic in her chest growing immensely as confusion takes over. "What?"

"Your results were inconclusive."

"I don't understand." The brunette mutters, her voice shaking. "That's impossible, the test was supposed to-"

"No, not impossible." Tori interrupts, shaking her head. "It's just _very_ rare."

"The simulation is supposed to eliminate one or more of the factions with each stage, but in your case, only two factions were ruled out. This gave you the equal aptitude result of three factions, rather than just one. If you had selected the steak in the first stage and gave it to the dog, it would have proven your aptitude for Amity. You didn't though, which is why Amity was ruled out. In the second stage on the bus, your insistence upon dishonesty ruled out Candor. You threw yourself on the dog in the first stage, which confirmed your aptitude for Abnegation. It also proved your aptitude for Dauntless, as well as not running from the dog but facing it head-on. Your intelligence with your responses confirmed your aptitude for Erudite."

"I'm still really confused." Josette says mostly to herself. She feels as if a thousand bricks have fallen upon her shoulders, suffocating her relentlessly.

"You display equal aptitude for Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless. It's such a rare occurrence, but... they call it Divergent." Tori explains, mumbling the last word so quietly that the brunette almost doesn't hear it.

“Josette, listen to me very carefully, under no circumstance should you ever tell anyone about this. Not your friends, your family, anyone."

"We aren't supposed to share our test results," Josette nods. "I know that."

"No." Tori leans in closer, placing her hand against the armrest as her face is only inches away from the brunette's. "This is different. Never, ever, share the fact that you tested inconclusive. Not now, not at any point in the future. I know it's confusing to you, but divergence is extremely dangerous. Do you understand?"

Josette doesn't understand what exactly the older girl means when she says inconclusive results are 'dangerous', yet she nods anyway. She lifts from the chair, feeling a bit weak as she stands.

"I suggest you tell your family that the serum made you sick, and that I sent you home. You have a lot of thinking to do, and you need to trust yourself with your decision tomorrow." Tori says, gesturing towards the back exit of the room.

Josette doesn't say anything else, and she rests the palm of her hand against her forehead as she exits the room.

The weight on her shoulders feels even more suffocating as she ponders the numerous thoughts flowing through her mind.

She can't bear the thought of the Choosing Ceremony happening tomorrow, and whilst everyone else gets a clear single-faction result, she had positive aptitude for several, leaving her right back where she started in her indecisiveness of her future.

It's her choice now, no matter what the test says.

Abnegation. Erudite. Dauntless.

Divergent.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprisingly this has gotten a lot of positive feedback overnight, which is pretty fuckin dope. so here's the second chapter :)

Josette walks along the curb of the roughly patched road, her mind restless.

Renovation surrounds her, as she's in the area of the city filled with crumbling and distasteful remains of old buildings. Most are salvageable, however, as her mother works as part of the Abnegation agency responsible for certain renovation of the city.

Her thoughts drift, finding herself thinking of Abnegation. Her faction, if she can even call it that anymore. She thinks of the Abnegation lifestyle from a different perspective quite often, and honestly, she finds it to be beautiful. What more could you want out of life other than a commitment of helping others, whilst surrounded by family and love?

The brunette can't help but adore the life each time she thinks of it, the seemingly perfect qualities of the faction should allow it to stand out among the rest. It's only when she tries to live it herself, that she finds herself perplexed. The way she's lived has never felt genuine, she never feels truly satisfied.

Choosing a different faction, however, means she would permanently forsake her family, and everything she's ever known. She isn't sure she can bare the thought.

Josette walks slowly past the wasted buildings, her eyes scanning the details of the busted glass and broken sidewalks she walks through. In certain areas where the road once collapsed, it was never repaired, revealing pits of waste and discolored sewage water, reeking of a powerful gruesome scent and the brunette is forced to hold her breath.

It's where the Factionless live. Once members of the society, they had failed to complete their initiation of their factions, leading them to be executed to live in poverty and loneliness. While they put forth the effort to do work around the city, Abnegation rewards them with necessities such as food and clothing. As her mother had once told her though, not enough of either.

It's not long before Josette reaches the street her house is on. She glances down to her watch to check the time, finding the rest of her family should be home soon enough. The only accessory Abnegation allows, because it's practical and helpful, is a plain watch. The brunette's is thin, with only a gray band and a glass face. If she tilts it just right, she can see bits of her reflection through the glass.

As she approaches her home, Josette glances up to see blonde hair and a gray robe sprinting towards her.

"Josette!" Elizabeth calls, gently grabbing hold of her sister's arm when she approaches her. "Are you alright? Where'd you go after your test?"

"I'm fine."

Peering around her sister slightly, the brunette frowns to find she wasn't alone. A taller boy with dark floppy hair wearing a gray vest stands still only a few feet away, his eyes remaining on her with concern swimming within them. Sebastian, she thinks is his name. He doesn't often come around, as she's only seen him a few times before, finding it oddly cute each time he and her sister modestly flirt with one another.

"I got sick, so they sent me home. Must have been that serum they gave us, or maybe just my nerves. I feel much better now, though." Josette attempts to give her sister a convincing smile.

Sebastian seem to let it go, as he's no longer staring at her as if she's insane. Elizabeth still narrows her eyes with a frown, the way she always does when she suspects someone of duplicity.

"Did you take the bus today? I know your father usually drives you." Josette turns to Sebastian, frankly not caring for his response but she needs to change the subject.

"Unfortunately, my father had to work late." The boy nods with a small smile. "He told me I should also be wise to spend a lot of time thinking before the ceremony tomorrow."

Josette's heart seems to pound like a sledgehammer against her chest at the mention of the ceremony.

"Well, you're more than welcome to join us for dinner tonight if you'd like." Elizabeth says politely, but the brunette recognizes the adoration in the gleam of her eyes.

"I believe the ol' man wants me home tonight," Sebastian smirks. "but thank you."

Josette knows her sister and Sebastian flirt in the tentative and modest way only known to Abnegation. It's never a thought to be explicit when it comes to interaction, which she has never understood nor has she ever experienced any form of a relationship.

Elizabeth's eyes follow Sebastian as he walks off in a desirable gaze, and the brunette has to grab her arm to startle her back to reality. She leads her sister into the house in silence.

Elizabeth turns to her, her blue eyes filled with accusation and her brows draw together. When she frowns as she is now, the brunette notices she looks even more alike their mother. It's not hard to imagine her sister having the same life as their parents: staying in Abnegation, graduating, marrying Sebastian and having a family.

It would be wonderful for her sister, but as for herself, she just can't see it.

"Do you wish to tell me the truth now?" Elizabeth asks softly before laughing. "At least I know you could never be Candor."

"I'm not supposed to discuss it." Josette says quietly. "And you're not supposed to ask."

"Of all the rules you defy against, this one you can't bend? It's important." The blonde's face seems to paint itself with offence, her brows raising. Her words seem almost accusatory, as if she'd actually break the rules for once in her life for this very reason.

"Tell me your results then, since you're so up for sharing." Josette narrows her gaze, her lips tugging into a sarcastic smile. "Don't think I didn't see how pale and shaken up you were after your test."

The silence in the lounge room is deafening as both girls stare blankly at one another, waiting for the other to break. It's interrupted by the train horn blaring distantly through the atmosphere. Josette knows the sound by heart, and she can't help but feel as if it's Dauntless calling her to them.

"I'm sorry. Just... don't tell Mom and Dad, okay? Please." Josette pleads, and Elizabeth stares at her with a look she can't truly decipher, before she curtly nods. She turns without another word and makes her way into the kitchen to prepare the night's dinner.

***

By the time her parents arrive home, dinner is completely prepared and the dining table is set. The aroma of fresh vegetables and grilled chicken fills the entirety of the kitchen.

Her father, Alaric, greets her with a chaste kiss to her forehead before setting his work bag down on the counter and taking his seat beside her mother at the dining table. His day was busy and he must be exhausted, she knows, as he is the leader among the Abnegation running the government. Most people in society respect her father, while others make snide comments seeing him too opinionated. She sees the good in him though, as he is gentle and loving towards his family.

"How did your test go today, Josette?"

Josette ignores the eerie chill that slides through her spine when her father mentions the aptitude test. All she can think of is danger, although she still has no clue what to make of anything she was told. "Fine."

Her sister was right, she could never be Candor. She lies without a single moment of hesitation, even to her family.

"I heard there was a problem with one of the tests today." Caroline hums. Her mother works for the government as well, mostly managing and observing work throughout the city alongside organizing charities for the Factionless.

"Is that so?" Alaric asks, intrigued as he raises his brows. A problem with the aptitude tests is rather unheard of.

"I don't know much, I only heard one of the students had a problem with their tests so the results had to be reported verbally. The student allegedly grew sick and had to be sent home early." Caroline shrugs. "Did you girls hear about that?"

"No." Elizabeth says calmly, and the brunette bites her lip to suppress laughter. Her sister could never be Candor, either.

A moment passes. the only sound in the room is silverware occasionally colliding with platters. The silence is interrupted when Josette hears her father speak with a reluctant tone.

"I had a rather difficult day at work. I usually enjoy leadership among the council, but it seems to be a chore as of recently." He puts on a sad smile, causing Caroline to overlap her hand over his in comfort.

"Is this about the reports Erudite released?" Caroline asks, frowning slightly. Her words sound bitter as if she is annoyed, which is a rare emotion for the woman. "Seems they've been doing everything they can to discredit Abnegation recently."

"Wait, why?" Josette asks urgently before she can stop herself.

She catches Elizabeth sending her a disapproving look from her peripheral vision. The dinner table is normally reserved for their parents to talk about their days at work whilst both girls listen - they're not supposed to talk.

"Erudite believes Abnegation is unfit to be the governing faction because while we value selflessness, they value knowledge. They think they're the strongest and smartest faction, and they attack us purely out of spite of our position." Caroline says, letting out a sigh after she speaks.

Her expression seems calm, yet it's obvious to the brunette that her mother has an internal conflict from the subject.

"It's purely their leader behind this ridiculous banter. Niklaus Mikaelson." Alaric shakes his head, scoffing with an angered grin on his face. "That arrogant, pompous son of a-"

Caroline places her hand upon his shoulder, narrowing her eyes as a warning. Josette knows her mother doesn't particularly like for herself or her father to show anger in front of the two young girls.

Alaric clears his throat, glancing at his daughters quickly before continuing. "I apologize. Frankly, I just don't see how Niklaus thinks he has the right to express his prejudice towards Abnegation. I mean, especially with those old anonymous reports released on his name. The complete opposite of what a leader stands for, in my opinion."

"What reports?" Josette asks curiously, raising her eyebrows.

She forgets the fact she shouldn't be speaking and interrupting her parents, and she catches Elizabeth's scolding gaze once again. It feels like needles piercing every inch of flesh on her body, she never did enjoy being scolded.

"Josette." The blonde says quietly.

The brunette ignores the heat that rushes directly to her cheeks, opting to nurture the eating utensil in her hand.

"It's an old accusation, really. I'm not for sure if its entirely truthful, as it is absolutely absurd and cruel. It's said that two years ago, Niklaus neglected and abused his only daughter, and that's why the girl chose to transfer to Dauntless during her Choosing Ceremony, rather than her original faction, Erudite."

The words her father speaks causes Josette to ponder. She had heard the story of the accusation held against Niklaus Mikaelson, the Erudite leader, among the hallways at school before. She never thought much of it, and she knows there isn't much revealed detail surrounding the neglected girl in question, other than the fact she's the only Mikaelson heir, and she's apart of Dauntless.

The Mikaelson family have been known for years for their high status in society from their wealth and high rankings in initiation of their factions, and whilst the girl is a Mikaelson, no one truly knows anything about her other than the fact she's from one of the highest families known. It makes the brunette wonder, could the accusation about Niklaus's heartless persona really be true after all? So much so that the heir completely hides the fact she's descended from the highest family?

"While it's only an accusation, I certainly hope it's true. It at least could give us something to use against the Erudite faction trying to suppress us." Alaric confesses with a shrug, sounding truly serious. If there's one thing the brunette's father is known for other than his governing position, it's his persistent habits.

"We will not submit ourselves to such gossip. We need to remain strong as a united faction against Erudite, and hope this diverting jealously banter ends soon." Caroline gives her husband a stern look, although the hint of a smile ghosts her lips.

Josette knows she would never choose Erudite. While this conflict of feud occurs among the factions, and the leader seems like someone she'd want to entirely steer away from, she doesn't picture herself choosing the Erudite faction. Even if the test confirmed her aptitude for knowledge.

Dinner passes quickly as their conversation of Erudite ceases, and different from the usual routine, her parents don't allow her or her sister to help clean up the kitchen. She knows they're supposed to keep to themselves for the rest of the night to think about their decision, as well as get plenty of rest.

Josette still holds numerous thoughts scrambled throughout her mind about tomorrow, conflicted and confused on what exactly she'll do. She feels as if her family could certainly help her choose, but she'd been warned carefully not to speak of her results in any way. Tori's warning whispers in the back of her head each time her resolve of keeping her mouth shut falters.

Josette climbs the staircase alongside her sister, quickly reaching the top where their bedrooms are straight across from each other. Before the brunette has the chance to grip the doorknob, she feels a hand gently skim her arm, causing her to turn around.

"Tomorrow when we choose..." Elizabeth starts with a shaken tone, looking sharply into her sister's eyes. "We should think of the family." A moment passes where the blonde looks conflicted, and she takes a deep breath. "But... we must also think of ourselves."

The words surprise Josette, causing her to stare directly at her sister with widened eyes. She's never heard or seen her sister ever think of herself, nor betray her commitment to selflessness.

It's unusual, as if her sister's statement lit a match and flames made purely of melancholy burn her inside and out. She tries to recover, breathing deeply as she shakes her head at the blonde. "The tests... don't have to mean anything. They don't have to change our choices."

Elizabeth smiles sadly, and she hesitates. "Don't they, though?"

Josette doesn't have time to say anything else before Elizabeth offers one last smile and resorts quickly into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. The brunette feels the infamous weight of bricks drop harshly upon her shoulders, and she wishes she could comfort her sister, admitting they're going through the same exact thing.

Admitting she truly needs help, and that she's so lost.

But, the idea of admitting that is forsaken and too much to bear, so Josette turns away.

***

The night seems to pass by Josette within an instant, her state of panic only doubling and further suffocating her as she sits on the bus among other Abnegation members wearing gray gowns, vests, and slacks. The sun shines through the windows of the bus, only a pale ring like the end of a cigarette visible through the mass of clouds in the sky.

Soon enough, the bus comes to a sharp halt, and Josette follows suite after her parents and twin sister, not wanting to become lost among the large crowd of families from the four other factions.

She quickly glances to Elizabeth, noticing that she seems surprisingly calm given the circumstances. The brunette figures she would share her sister's monotonous expression, if only she knew what exactly she was going to do for her decision in the ceremony. Instead, she gets the strong impression that her heart will soon combust from her chest at any point, so she softy grips her sister's hand for comfort as they near the steps of The Hub.

The tallest building in the entire city made up of exquisitely tainted glass and carved steel, The Hub is where all families harboring sixteen year olds are currently on their way to for the Choosing Ceremony. It's crowded and loud, only further giving the brunette more reason for being unable to catch her breath. Her family climbs the stairs among the rest of the Abnegation, created a mass of gray fabric ascending the cement steps.

The unrelenting noise of the crowd makes Josette's head pound.

Her legs grow sore and she struggles to breathe even more as she continues to climb the steps alongside her sister. It feels as if it's never-ending, until suddenly her father is holding the door to the top floor open. The crowd presses her into the room, and she grips Elizabeth's hand tighter as she glances around.

The room that will very soon decide her future.

It's arranged neatly, a mass of seats ascend on the far end of the room, organized to where each faction is clearly separated by their distinct colors. She notices Abnegation on the far left corner, and widens her eyes slightly when she notices Erudite right beside the gray mass of people.

Not every family member of each sixteen year old comes to watch the Choosing Ceremony, but enough join to where the crowd is intimidatingly large. While families fill most of the seating, the final two rows hold every sixteen year old that has to choose their faction. Elizabeth will choose before her, and the thought is oddly satisfying.

The responsibility to conduct the Ceremony rotates from faction to faction every year, and this year is Erudite's. The thought of Niklaus Mikaelson giving the opening speech before the Ceremony begins is enough to make her feel lightheaded, the thoughts of last night's conversation with her family crossing her mind.

Josette's eyes focus to the very front of the room, finding a large table on the white podium, five metal bowls placed on top. Each one containing a substance that represents each faction: solid gray stones for Abnegation, soil of the earth for Amity, shredded glass for Candor, water for Erudite, and lit coals for Dauntless.

Josette, Elizabeth, and their parents all pause between the sections marked for Erudite and Abnegation, and the brunette grows even weaker as her father bends down to give both her and her sister a chaste kiss on her forehead, followed by a small smile.

"I'll see you girls soon." He says proudly, not a trace of doubt in his tone.

Her mother's arms slide around the brunette's waist, embracing her in a warm hug, and what little resolve Josette has left nearly vanishes in thin air as she breaths in her mother's calming scent.

She clenches her jaw tightly and wills the tears not to fall, opting to close her eyes and think optimistically of the moment. Caroline holds her close for what feels like hours and seconds all at the same time before she pulls back slightly and whispers in her daughter's ear, "I love you. No matter what."

Josette barely has time to register her mother's words before she's walking away with her father to sit with the other Abnegation parents. The brunette frowns, the sudden thought of her mother knowing her even better than she knows herself crossing her mind. The thought is forgotten as Elizabeth pulls her to sit in their assigned seats, suddenly squeezing her hand so tightly it stings, but she doesn't let go. She has to embrace this moment as they both need each other's strength for the Ceremony.

The thought of abandoning her parents was one thing, incredibly painful and it threatens to bring tears to her eyes. The thought of losing her sister is another, and the brunette refuses to allow herself to think of it, scared of what she might do.

The crowded room slowly comes in order as each parent and teenager takes their required seat, awaiting for the opening speech. Only a moment passes before all conversation ceases in an instant, and Josette's eyes flicker towards the podium to find a rather tall man with dirty blonde curled hair wearing a blue suit, a smirk on his face that seems taunting, and the girl now recognizes him.

Niklaus Mikaelson.

"Welcome, welcome all..." His voice resounds loudly in the silent room through his thick accent. The smirk on his face never falters as he places his hands in front of him charmingly. "To the annual Choosing Ceremony. The day we honor the wise system our ancestors founded years ago. The day we serve our very purpose in this world, the day we are reminded that every man and woman possesses the right to choose their own path."

_More like one of five predetermined ways of living according to stereotypes_ , Josette thinks to herself as she dares herself to roll her eyes. Instead, she opts to squeeze Elizabeth's hand tighter, forcing herself to listen to the man on the podium.

"Our brilliant youthful dependents are now sixteen, meaning the time has come for them to choose their rightful place in our society. They will honor their ancestors as it is their purpose in this world, showing nothing but respect. Tonight, these dependents will bare in mind how important it is they choose the right faction, for the sake of us lot. Our factions provide us everything: life, love, and true purpose... I find there is not better feeling than being where you truly belong, and banishing everyone who does not agree with the way you live. Without our factions, survival is not possible. Therefore, I trust our dependents will choose wisely, bringing them to their well deserved adulthood."

Josette's eyes narrow at the sight of the five different bowls on the podium, the breath in her lungs thinning immensely. Where does she truly belong? She does not know. She does not know. She does not-

"Let us begin this remarkable occasion. And as always, remember: Faction Before Blood."

A round of applause sounds muffled to Josette as her mind flickers through a multitude of conflicting thoughts like a swift slideshow. Her breathing is raged, she knows, and she attempts to sit still in her seat so she won't draw attention to herself. Her knees are locked and her body is stiff. She watches as Niklaus lifts a set of cards, reading off the first names, but she can't depict one syllable from another. It's all blurred.

One by one, the sixteen year olds stand from their seat and walk to the podium. Josette's gaze is solid as she watches the first girl wearing a yellow dress slice a thin line through her palm, allowing the few drops of blood to drip quickly into the Amity bowl, the same faction she came from.

The Ceremony seems to move quickly, although the brunette is silently panicking the entire time. A new name, a new slice of their hand, new blood droplets, leading to a new choice of life.

"Landon Kirby." Niklaus suddenly calls out, it is only then Josette raises her head and forces herself to pay attention.

She watches as a boy from Amity, dressed in a yellow and red vest and sporting black curls on his head, makes his way to the front podium. Josette notices how he seems fragile, and her suspicion is confirmed when he stumbles while walking, but he throws his arms out quickly to catch himself before he collides with the floor. It makes her frown, wondering why he's obviously nervous.

He stands on the podium, his head glancing back and forth as he slices open his palm. A long moment passes, the silence deafening, when the boy jerks out his arm out and his blood spills upon flaming coals.

The boy had chosen Dauntless, making him the first to switch factions. Josette can't help the way her jaw drops as she watches him walk towards the cheering mass of black on the far side of the room.

Amity-born transferring to Dauntless? The brunette has never seen it before, and by the way loud whispers and murmurs of disapproval resound from Amity, she assumes the faction had never seen it before either. She knows the boy will now be seen as a traitor, it makes her bite her lip harshly.

"Elizabeth Saltzman."

Josette glances with worries eyes at her sister, watching as Elizabeth squeezes her hand one last time before she walks toward the white podium. She notices the blonde keeping her head high, and her hands are steady as she reaches for the knife. Elizabeth slices her palm slowly, the blood pooling quickly in her grasp.

And then, the seconds pass deliberately, and Josette watches as her sister's fist drifts into the air close to her chest, as if she's unsure. Until suddenly, she holds her hand over the Erudite bowl.

No.

_No. No. No._

Her blood drips without hesitation into the large bowl of water, the crimson color splattering and contrasting against the clear liquid.

Josette freezes whilst a massive wave of clapping and loud mutters inhabit the room. Her hands begin to shake in her lap, and she can't hold back as she glares at her sister with fury as the blonde bandages her hand and walks toward the Erudite faction. All the faction members dressed classically in blue are smiling at her as they welcome her. Her sister, the most selfless person she knows, transferring to Erudite?

The brunette closes her eyes, picturing Elizabeth's shaking hands after the aptitude test and the confrontation they had in front of their bedroom doors just the night before. How hadn't she realized it sooner? When her sister told her she should think of herself, the blonde was also taking her own advice.

She can't believe it, even after everything Erudite has done to discredit Abnegation, her sister had chosen to transfer to the faction and defy her own family.

Her family. Josette quickly looks to the Abnegation section of seating above her. Normally so calm and reserved, she's surprised to find deep frowns and angry whispers radiating from the faction.

She hadn't truly noticed the room had filled with utter commotion within such a short period of time until she hears Niklaus Mikaelson's voice yell loudly, "Quiet please!"

The room silents immediately, and just as Josette begins to relax and distract herself with other thoughts, she hears it.

"Josette Saltzman."

A chill shutters through her spine as Josette propels herself forward with a strong force. Her eyes pin to the ground, not trusting she won't trip, and she watches as her boots barely peaking out from beneath her gray robe as she walks to the podium.

Halfway to the five bowls, she finds Niklaus Mikaelson peering at her every move, and it's clear in her mind.

She's certain she will choose Abnegation, she can see herself growing into a woman in her gray robes, marrying another Abnegation member and raising a family, volunteering around the city like her mother does. The peace of the consistent routine, the quiet nights she'll spend in front of the fireplace alongside her significant other and their children, the certainty that she will always be safe.

The ringing in her ears grows louder as she glances once again to her sister. Elizabeth stares back at her with an empty expression from the Erudite section, until the blonde sends her a small nod, as if she knows what the brunette is thinking.

If Elizabeth, her sister who she thought was the perfect selfless ideal, wasn't fit for Abnegation after all, how could Josette be?

The thought pounds against her head, the pain causing her eyes to squint. But what choice does she truly have, as she's now the only one who could possibly remain with her parents?

Josette sets her jaw, taking a deep breath. She has to choose Abnegation, for her family's sake. It's her only option.

Niklaus offers her the knife and she grasps it tightly with a nod. Josette looks into the man's eyes, observing the dark blue-green color and how it compliments his smirking lips.

She peers down, her eyes skimming each bowl, specifically the gray Abnegation stones, and the coal topped with fire in the bowl of Dauntless. She holds the knife against her palm, and she grits her teeth as she softly jerks the sharp blade against her flesh. It stings more than she appreciates, but it's the least of her concerns.

Selflessness.

Can the brunette truly commit to the promise of the Abnegation faction for the rest of her life? She wishes the future seemed perfect, but it just doesn't.

A shaken breath escapes her lips as she thrusts her arm out quickly between the two specific bowls, watching as the first droplet falls upon the white podium, before her choice is then made.

Josette feels the weight of a thousand bricks lift from her shoulders, relief feeling overwhelmingly euphoric as the blood from her palm drips down quickly and sizzles into the black rock of the flaming coals.

Gasps, clapping, and the loudest cheering all bind together in the background, and Josette feels confident in the fact of knowing she is brave.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i appreciate all the love this fic is getting so far, definitely helps me feel motivated to update as much as possible. btw from this point on, since hope finally comes in, there will be pov's from her as well as josie.
> 
> let me know your thoughts on the chapter <3

The Choosing Ceremony comes to end rather quickly after her decision, and Josette finds herself standing in the sea of Dauntless members and other initiates.

Her gaze is trained to the ground whilst all the factions around her prepare to leave the building since the ceremony is now over. Dauntless exits first, and soon enough, she's following her new faction towards the staircase exit. They pass by the Abnegation section, causing Josette's eyes to cling to the people dressed in gray in search for her parents.

She's terrified to see their faces, but she just has to see them. At least one more time.

When her eyes finally land on her parents, she immediately regrets ever looking up from the ground. Alaric's expression radiates pain, his eyes burning into his daughter's with accusation, seeking answers of her betrayal.

Josette forces herself to look away in an effort to avoid tears, although she feels the wet trails will find a way to escape eventually no matter her refusal. When her eyes flicker slightly towards her mother, she's taken back by what she sees.

Caroline is smiling. It seems genuine, like she's proud. There's not a trace of faux emotion or sadness at all, and it causes the brunette to grow incredibly confused.

She doesn't have much time to ponder before people in black surrounding her are coaxing her forward, and she's forced to oblige. Then, once most of the faction reaches the staircase, they begin to run. It doesn't surprise Josette, in fact, she studies them curiously as she lifts her gray robe from the ground so she doesn't trip before increasing her pace to a slight jog. Shouting and laughter fills the air as the wild faction descends the staircase, bursting through the exit doors and welcoming the outside.

The air is crisp and quite chilly as the sun begins to set in the sky, but it doesn't bother any member of Dauntless it seems. The joyous cries and laughter never cease, while some members even opt to preform hurtles and front-flips through the air, their stamina immortal. They seem to be heading in the direction of the train tracks.

"What the hell is happening?" A boy next to her shouts.

Josette glances towards him, recognizing him instantly. The surprising Amity transfer, she remembers his name being Landon Kirby.

She shakes her head, but continues to run beside him. The boy seems nice enough, and she could use the company to ease the slight nerves in her chest. She finds herself breathless, her lungs burning and the muscles of her legs aching, when she hears the familiar sound of the train horn.

"Please don't tell me they expect us to hop on that thing." Landon says in a panicked voice.

Josette had already known she would have to hurl herself on the train along with the rest of Dauntless in order to get to the headquarters. All the times she spent gazing through the windows at school, watching the wild faction emerge from the moving carts, briefly flashes through her head. It makes her nervous, but there's no other way around it.

"We have to," Josette sighs, giving the boy an encouraging smile. "come on!"

The crowd of Dauntless member and initiates all spread out evenly in a long line along the tracks, and she watches as the train glides as fast as lighting on the tracks, the lights flashing and the horn blaring, and coming straight towards them. The Dauntless members all jump with a fierce pounce, making it onto the train within seconds, leaving all the initiates to tend to themselves.

Josette runs in the line of all the other initiates, watching as a few of them throw themselves sideways and grab hold of the entrance to one of the many carts before managing to messily jump inside. When she leaps up, surprisingly succeeding in grabbing the cart's doorway with a strong grip, she finds she's not as strong as she thought. Her shoulder slams painfully against the side of the train, and her body threatens to give in to the ferocious wind whirling around her, demanding she falls off and plummets to the ground.

Her chest rises and falls with dreadful breaths, and just when she thinks the wind will succeed in pushing her off the side of the train, a former Candor girl desperately grabs hold of her arm and pulls her inside the cart.

Josette offers a grateful smile. "Thank you." It comes out sounding rough and quiet as she's completely out of breath, even through the foreign sense of adrenaline coursing through her veins.

"You okay?" The girl dressed in white asks her, seeming genuinely worried. She's only a bit shorter than Josette, with olive tinted skin and black shoulder-length curls. She's pretty, that much is obvious.

Josette only sends a nod in return, too busy appreciating the feeling of resting on the floor of the train.

The girl in white sends her a smile. "I'm Penelope."

"Josette." The brunette replies, surprised that the opposite girl had introduced herself, but certainly not unappreciative. Again, the company is useful.

"Do you have any idea where we're heading?" Penelope asks, her voice loud to contrast against the fierce wind. The train is going down the tracks faster than it had when the initiates jumped on.

"Dauntless headquarters, I think. I don't know where that is, though." Josette shrugs.

"I don't think anyone does." Penelope shakes her head before giggling slightly. "Honestly, I think they're trying to kill us. Or at least scare the hell out of us, which is definitely working."

Josette can't help but laugh. She then glances out of one of the many entrances to the train as it picks up even more in speed, and her eyes flicker absentmindedly towards the faint sight of the familiar, gray Abnegation houses that she used to call home. She remembers it being Elizabeth's turn to make dinner that night, and her chest grows tight as she pictures her mother and father's faces. What will they be doing by themselves from now on? How soon will they clean out her and her sister's rooms?

How are they coping, knowing the fact that both her and her sister had abandoned them so quickly?

"They're fucking jumping!"

Josette perks up at the sudden and loud exclamation of Penelope, her neck aching slightly as her head snaps up. She doesn't know how long she's been zoned out for, thinking of her family, but she figures it must have been awhile, as some of the initiates are blinking sleep out of their eyes. The train seems to have slowed down a bit too, and the brunette glares out of the entrance.

The Dauntless in the further carts ahead are leaping out of the train and onto an adjacent rooftop of a building that is, in fact, ten stories high. The idea of having no choice, unless she wants to be Factionless, but to leap out of a moving train and onto the rooftop, knowing there is a decent gap between the end of the roof and the train tracks, makes Josette's throat tighten and her stomach twist in knots.

Penelope suddenly grabs her hand, helping the brunette up to stand so that she doesn't stumble from the quickly moving train. Josette appreciates how kind the other girl is being, it's not something she's used to, especially from the other factions.

"We have to jump too, then." A girl from Erudite says with sass. She has darkly tanned skin with tight black curls pulled in a ponytail upon her head.

"Right," A boy from Erudite replies in annoyance, raking a hand through his dark hair. "that makes sense, Maya. Just leap off the train to the likelihood of inevitable death."

"Jed, would you grow a pair already? This is what we have to do. If you want to end up Factionless, be my guest. I'm jumping with or without you." The girl snaps back at the boy, and Josette finds herself intimidated.

"Well, I'm not doing it." A familiar voice sounds close, and Josette turns to see the Amity boy, Landon, shaking his head and clenching his fists to his sides.

"You have to, dude." Penelope says lightly, patting his back. "Come on, you don't want to be Factionless, do you?

Landon seems to calm down slightly from the comfort, but Josette can still see his hands shaking and the rising and falling of his chest as he breathes quickly.

Penelope turns to her then with furrowed brows, offering her hand. The brunette complies and watches as the other girl interlocks their fingers tightly. "Sorry, I just... can't find the courage without a little help."

Josette nods with a soft smile, about to follow Penelope to the edge of the train cart's entrance until she turns around, glancing back to a nervous and doubtful Landon. She reaches for one of his shaking hands, gripping it tightly and tugging him towards her. He flinches in surprise at the sudden and close proximity, but reciprocates the grasping of their hands.

"Come on." Josette says encouragingly. "I'm not gonna let you fail."

Penelope looks to the brunette, biting her lip in anticipation. The train cart is right in front of the rooftop, and she knows it's now or never. The girl in white breaths deeply before tightening her jaw. "One... two... three!"

It's a leap of faith, really. Josette's obviously never once had the opportunity of jumping from a moving train onto a high-scale building, and she doesn't know what to expect to happen next as her stomach flutters with butterflies, the wind bitterly cold as she hurls through the air holding Penelope and Landon's hands.

It's a weightless moment, an adrenaline rush, when suddenly her feet slam into the solid gravel scattered across the concrete rooftop. Pain bites at every section of her body as she skids across the gravel, her knees and shins specifically. The landing isn't pretty or swift in the slightest as she knows at some point in the jump she lost her grip on Penelope and Landon. She can feel the flesh of her hands and knees tearing vigorously against the sharp gravel when she slides against it, sprawling and surely drawing a little blood.

Josette finds the pain from her landing doesn't matter or really cross her mind for more than a mere second, because happiness radiates from her chest instead. It sends the brightest grin on her face, because she actually made it.

She peers at her surroundings quickly when she raises her head from the ground in search for her jumping-mates. Landon is perched on his knees with a grateful expression on his face, looking straight at the brunette, although he has a small gash on his forehead. Penelope is doubled over in joyous laughter, and she catches Josette's gaze.

"Okay, that was pretty damn fun." She says, smirking. It seems that Penelope won't have any trouble fitting in with the Dauntless thrill-seekers.

Josette's eyes flicker around the entirety of the rooftop, finding that all the initiates seemed to make it on the roof, some more injured than others.

While a few are already recovered and standing, only brushing off their clothing, she finds the Erudite girl from the train, Maya, holding her ankle and wincing on the ground. Beside her is the Erudite boy, Jed, smirking cockily with his arms crossed. He must have landed on his feet.

She sees Landon walking towards her with a small smile, his hands fidgeting slightly. "I just wanted to say thank you... for helping me. Not sure I would've actually jumped if it hadn't of been for you."

The boy seems genuinely thankful, the light in his eyes speaking for itself, and it makes Josette feel a bit proud of herself, knowing she made a difference in someone's life already. She easily reciprocates the brightness of his smile before replying, "Of course. I honestly don't know if I would've jumped either, if it wasn't for Penelope, or you."

Landon's gaze shifts to the brunette's arm suddenly, and his smile quickly turns into a frown. "You're bleeding, are you alright?"

Josette only then looks down to where he's gesturing, finding her elbow stings slightly, and the fabric of her gray robe is now tinted red in the specific area. She peels her robe from her shoulder and down her arm to examine it, seeing the skin is torn in a few different areas, the blood fresh.

"Oh look, the Stiff's stripping. A little scandalous, don't you think?"

At the derogatory term commonly used to refer to only the Abnegation faction, Josette's head perks up and she can't stop herself from scoffing. Jed is pointing at her and smirking, while beside him, Maya cackles with raised brows. Despite her annoyance, she blushes and quickly pulls her robe back up her arm and over her shoulder.

"Just ignore those lowlife assholes." Penelope suddenly comes up from behind her, sending her a small smile.

Penelope grabs both Josette and Landon's hand before pulling them towards where the rest of the initiates are grouping up around the far edge of the rooftop, in front of two tall men dressed in all black.

"Alright, listen up! I'm Eric, and this right here is Marcel, the leaders of your new faction!" One of the men shout, who Josette now knows is Eric. His black clothing is tight against his muscular build, and she notices along with his blonde slicked hair, that he has a nose ring pierced through his septum, and detailed ink along his neck.

Eric stands tall on the edge of the building as if it's a sidewalk, and he couldn't easily fall to his death if he were to take a single step backwards.

"Several stories behind me, is the initiates entrance to the Dauntless compound. Now, if you can't find it in your fragile little hearts to jump off this ledge and down through the entrance, then I can guarantee you that you do not belong here."

"You want us to jump off the ledge?" Maya asks dumbfounded, and Josette fights the urge to laugh. She doesn't understand how it shocks her.

"Yes." Marcel replies, holding an amused smirk on his face.

"Is there water at the bottom or something?"

"Guess you'll find out. Unless you want to be Factionless, of course." Eric replies, his face emotionless and solid as stone.

The crowd of initiates are all silent and still, not a single teenager seeming eager to jump down several stories as their eyes are mostly glued towards the ground or the sky.

Josette doesn't know what comes over, but when her body forces her to walk forward, she catches the sight of both Landon and Penelope gawking at her, but they have proud smiles on their faces. It gives her motivation as she continues to walk, even through the snickering that erupts from the rest of the initiates.

Marcel and Eric step aside from the ledge as the brunette reaches it, their expressions actually a little surprised.

Josette glances down past the building and sees a wide hole shattered through the cement, too dark to see anything resembling the bottom. Her palms grow slick and her throat tightens at the sight, but she takes a deep breath. She knows what this is - it's simply a scare tactic, and she knows she'll land safely at the bottom.

The thought is what drives her to step onto the ledge of the building before slipping off her long robe, leaving her only in a gray t-shirt that outlines her chest, and matching pants. Josette quickly balls up the robe in her grasp as she looks over her shoulder, her eyes flickering towards Jed. Admittedly, the Erudite transfer has done nothing thus far but piss the brunette off, so she launches the ball of fabric as hard as she can, and feels satisfied when it hits him in the chest.

Jed frowns down at the impact of the robe before glaring harshly at the brunette. She can hear catcalling and voices emerging from behind her, and she instantly recognizes Penelope's laughter among the voices.

Josette turns and glances down towards the hole far beneath her, feeling goosebumps scatter across her arms and her stomach building with nerves. She knows she can't back down, not with every initiate behind her obviously doubting her, along with the fact she needs to impress the leaders.

She takes a deep breath, and forces herself not to think as she bends her knees and jumps from the ledge.

The wind bites at her skin and howls in her ears as the ground expands below her, the butterflies from the falling sensation in her stomach now reaching for her throat. Her muscles are tense and her heart still pounds when the darkness now lights up when she hits something hard. The surface sways beneath her and cradles her body, the sudden impact knocking the breath from her lungs.

A net. Although her heart still pounds and her body still stings, Josette covers her face with her hands and laughs softly, a blush heating her cheeks. She's as hysterical as she is relieved.

Movement catches in her peripheral vision, seeing a pair of hands beginning to pull on the edge of the net.

Josette shifts her body so she can grab one of the hands, pulling her body across the surface and rolling off. Her eyes widen when she thinks she'll definitely fall onto the ground, but then she's caught gently by her waist, the same pair of hands helping her secure balance.

Glancing towards the owner of the hands, Josette swallows roughly at the sight of her. A girl, only slightly shorter than her, with auburn-tinted hair and eyes as blue as the sky beneath long lashes.

She's wearing a tight black jacket that reveals her collarbones and most of her chest, accompanied with her black pants and boots. Her hair is pulled back into a high ponytail, and the brunette then notices the slight smirk of her lips.

Josette feels the girl's hands leave her waist, and she almost misses the warm feeling. It's then she remembers exactly where she is, and how the girl had caught her from falling, so she opens her mouth to speak but stops herself when the other girl speaks first.

"You get pushed or something?"

Josette's brows tighten as she feels slightly offended.

"No." She bites out harsher than intended, but it doesn't seem to phase the other girl.

"Well, I'll be damned." A feminine voice calls out from behind the brunette. She turns to find a girl with blonde hair and a silver nose ring, wearing relatively the same black outfit as the girl that had caught her, walking towards the two of them. "A Stiff the first to jump? I don't think that's ever happened."

"There's a reason she left, Jade." The girl with auburn hair says, her voice sporting a slight husk. "What's your name, newbie?"

"It's, um..." Josette hesitates for an unknown reason. She finds her full name just doesn't feel right as it lies upon her tongue.

"Think about it." She says softly. "But make it good, you won't be able to pick again."

"Josie." The brunette decides with a sense of confidence.

"Josie." Jade repeats with a smirk, her blonde hair bouncing slightly as she nods. "I like it. Make the announcement, Hope."

The girl - Hope - peers over her shoulder towards the rest of the cavern, other members of the faction around. "First jumper, Josie!"

The crowd around the cavern cheer and pump their fists in the air, and Josie feels euphoric, a small smile taking over. She's beyond relieved she'd been the first to jump from the building.

At that moment, another person descends in a flash from the sky and smacks against the net, girlish screams sounding through the air. Josie instantly recognizes the jumper as Penelope, and she can't help but laugh along with the crowd of Dauntless members at the sight.

Josie glances down to find Hope's hand grasping hers. Her eyes flicker up to find soft blue ones looking into her own, and a faint smirk lies upon the girls lips.

"Welcome to Dauntless."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i planned to update this so much sooner but my junior year ends in like two weeks so the rapid assignments have been total hell. sorry about that. here it is tho, enjoyyy

It doesn't take more than a quick fifteen minutes before all of the initiates have jumped from the high building and landed with loud screams against the net.

Josie stands between Penelope and Landon among the rest of the transfer and Dauntless-born initiates, watching as Hope and Jade chat briefly to themselves. Only a moment passes before the two girls dressed in black come sauntering towards the group, their chests held high.

"Alright, this is where we divide. All Dauntless-born initiates are with me," Jade says, then she smirks. "I assume you won't be needing a tour of the place."

Jade beckons towards all the Dauntless-born initiates before she turns in the direction of a far hallway, causing them to break away from the large group and dissolve into the shadows.

Josie glances around to notice only nine initiates remain standing, herself included. She's the only Abnegation transfer among them, as most transferred from Erudite. The brunette perks her head up intently when Hope speaks raucously.

"I usually work in the control room for mental intelligence, but during your training for the next few weeks, I'll be your instructor." She says, her eyes scanning over the group carefully with a polite nod. "My name is Hope."

"A pretty thing like you, our instructor?" Jed's voice sounds from among the group, and Josie doesn't bother to stop her eyes from rolling. She hears Penelope scoff loudly from beside her.

Josie watches closely as any positive essence of Hope's facial expression practically vanishes at the boy's remark, and the girl walks up to Jed slowly, her eyes narrowed and her jaw locked tight. The two of them are in such close proximity, with Jed smirking down at her and Hope glancing up at him with an oddly calm look on her face.

"What's your name?" She asks with a tilt of her head, her tone quite husky.

"Jed."

Hope suddenly snatches the tie wrapped around the boy's neck, and she tugs so tightly, his height matches hers in an instant. She glares at him fiercely as he makes rugged choking sounds, his eyes wide.

"Okay, Jed." Hope purrs, tightening her grip on the tie. All Josie can do is stare in amazement at the other girl, her jaw dropped. "The first lesson you'll learn from me is saving your smart-ass and sexist remarks, and keeping your mouth shut. Understand?"

Hope releases the tie from her grip with a jerk of her arm, stepping backwards as Jed falls to the floor, coughing and sputtering. She doesn't bother to turn towards the group of initiates before walking off in the opposite direction towards a hallway. "Follow me, we're heading to The Pit."

Josie follows along with the rest of the group, soon walking through the hallway. It's quite dark, only a few torches aligning the walls.

"So, she seems like someone you never want to fuck with." Penelope's hushed tone of voice catches the attention of the brunette.

"Well, she's definitely intimidating." Josie nods, raising her brows. The idea of how quickly Hope can shift between being calm and choking a guy at least a foot taller than her with his own tie manages to leave the brunette feeling on edge. She realizes it'd probably be wise to be careful around the auburn-haired girl.

Hope pushes open a set of double-doors, causing instant light to flood into the dark hallway, and she leads the group into an incredibly large cavern that Josie remembers the girl mentioning is 'The Pit'. The name is frankly perfect and definitely speaks for itself. Uneven rock ascends several stories towards the sky, and as the sun shines through, the brunette assumes glass aligns the top of the cavern to form a roof. Platforms seep from the walls, with no barriers on the edges to prevent someone from falling.

"So, this is The Pit, the center of life here at Dauntless." Hope says, gesturing with outstretched arms to the entire cavern. "If you follow me this way, I'll show you the chasm."

Josie watches as the girl now leads the group to the left side of cavern towards a dark entrance. The brunette studies the back of Hope's figure, and it's then she notices, beyond her ponytail, black ink on the back of her neck, barely peeking out from beneath the collar of her jacket. She wonders briefly of what the girl's tattoo is.

Hope gestures for the group to stop walking as they stand on a long metal bridge, accompanied with a railing. Roaring of water can be heard, as there's a waterfall ascending down from one side of the cavern. It flows at a quick pace towards the bottom of the cavern, gushing and crashing against numerous patches of uneven rock on the walls.

"The chasm is a constant reminder that there is a fine line between bravery and idiocy!" Hope shouts over the thunderous flowing of the waterfall. "Any 'daredevil' stunt you try to pull from this ledge will end your life," She snaps her fingers together. "just like that. It's happened before, and I highly doubt it won't happen again, so don't be stupid trying to boost your worthless ego."

They start walking again, across the bridge over the chasm and in the direction of another, surprisingly lit up, hallway. It leads into a rather large yet plain looking room, beds spread out evenly among one of the walls. Lanterns are hung in a few places from the ceiling, and in the middle of the room sits a white table, black outfits in neat piles spread across.

"Welcome to your bedroom." Hope smirks, although her voice comes out monotone, outmatched to her expression. "This is where you'll be sleeping for the next few weeks during your training, and before you ask, yes... both boys and girls."

A few groans erupt from some of the initiates, and Josie watches as Hope doesn't say another word before quickly walking towards the exit of the room, back to the direction of the chasm. The auburn-haired girl stops walking briefly, glancing over her shoulder, and surprisingly meets Josie's stare. The brunette quickly finds the eye contact is oddly exhilarating as it sends a shiver down her spine.

"Get dressed, then come to The Pit's cafeteria. Take any longer than five minutes, and you all run laps."

***

The dining hall of The Pit is a chaotic, but still welcoming and comfortable atmosphere. Several gray tables fill out the floor evenly with masses of Dauntless members sitting at each one of them. The glass ceiling allows the sun to shine through, alongside bright orange lights scattered decoratively on the cement walls. All of the Dauntless members talk and laugh loudly whilst they eat, their voices echoing throughout the large room.

Josie, now wearing the faction's initiate uniform of a tight black t-shirt and matching pants, walks between Penelope and Landon as the trio follows the rest of the group into the dining hall. While most of the seats seem to be taken, the brunette catches a familiar sight of auburn hair, finding the girl's table to have a decently open space.

"Look, over there." She pulls on Penelope and Landon's uniform shirts, nodding her head towards the nearby table. Arriving swiftly, Josie dares to sit beside Hope, leaving a large gap between them. Blue eyes only flicker up to the brunette for a few seconds, before they shift back down to the table just as quickly.

Penelope sits on the opposite side of her, with Landon across from them beside an unfamiliar boy. Josie's eyes glance towards the table, overlooking the trays of food lined up tightly. It's a mixture of food groups, some meat and some fruits and vegetables. She decides on stabbing her fork through a small piece of steak and bringing it to her plate, figuring she should add more protein to her bones if she wants to increase her strength.

"Wow, Josie." Penelope snickers from beside her and nudges her slightly with her elbow, gripping an apple in one hand. "I'm surprised you even recognize that."

"Why wouldn't she recognize it?" Landon asks curiously, his brows furrowed. It's at that moment the unfamiliar boy from beside him speaks up, a smirk on his face.

"Abnegation eat plain food only." The boy says, lightly shrugging. "Typically a plant-based diet with minimal seasoning, if any." Josie can't help the raising of her brows, surprised the boy knows about the dieting habits of her old faction.

"Seems like somebody just knows everything." Penelope says sarcastically, her eyes narrowed at the unnamed boy. Her gaze then shifts to the brunette, a sad smile upon her lips. "No wonder you left."

"Right, Penelope. I just couldn't handle the 'oh, so terrible' eating habits and that's the only reason I transferred." Josie mumbles, the sarcasm that had just aimlessly spilled from her tongue making her widen her eyes slightly. She had never been allowed to dare speak out of tone at her old faction, and she wonders why it had come so easily just now, with not a second of hesitation.

The brunette hears the sound of nearby choked laughter. Her head instinctively snaps towards Hope, finding the girl's lips to be pursed in a thin line, the ghost of a smile present. She ponders if it had been her sarcastic remark that made the auburn-haired girl laugh.

"This 'somebody' has a name, you know." The boy abruptly speaks again, chuckling and shaking his head slightly. "I'm MG, Erudite transfer."

"Oh, great." Penelope groans, her shoulders slouching. "You really are a know-it-all. Literally, by definition, you can't argue with that."

MG smirks, his brows raised tauntingly. "Let me guess... Candor transfer, right?" He glances to the side before gripping Landon's shoulder in comfort. "I suggest you build up some strong self-confidence if you're gonna be friends with this one."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Penelope gasps with faux offence.

"You have no filter!" MG exclaims as if it's obvious. "You're so brutally honest, you say the first thing that comes to your head without a second thought."

"Oh, I get it." Penelope smirks. "You mean like, you're a dumbass?"

The banter between them is the complete opposite of hostile as Josie can't help but giggle at the two, even Landon through his usually shy state can't control his laughter. The friendly exchange of teasing comes to an end too quickly as a newfound presence then enters the dining hall, a momentary spike of silence falling among all of the Dauntless members.

In the middle of the dining hall now stands Eric and Marcel, who Josie remembers to be the men from the rooftop and two of the Dauntless leaders. They're both glancing around occasionally, talking between themselves. Only a moment passes before Eric breaks off from the conversation and saunters towards the brunette's table, his arms crossed and his eyes cold.

Eric plops in the empty seat beside Hope with a small grunt, not offering a greeting. His eyes shift to the auburn-haired girl, scanning over her figure with a hint of something Josie can't seem to depict, but she knows in her gut that it's more than unsettling. Almost like he's the vile predator, and she's the meek prey.

A defensive threat builds itself up deep within her throat, just begging to be screamed out, but she conceals it for obvious reasons. While Josie's more than certain that Hope can easily defend herself, it's not like she even _knows_ the girl well enough to be standing up for her in this sort of faction's environment. Besides, she knows she'd never get away with defying a leader. Even though Eric looks incredibly young to be a leader, the brunette knows she still wouldn't stand a chance.

Hope never once looks up to the man beside her, opting to keep her gaze glued to the table and her fists clenched tight in her lap. Oddly enough, her shoulders are hunched tightly, and she appears severely tense.

"You gonna introduce me to your new buddies?" Eric asks with a smirk, nudging Hope with his shoulder against hers.

Josie furrows her brows at the way Hope jerks slightly at the contact from the blonde leader, and if the brunette wasn't paying close attention, she wouldn't be able to notice the way the other girl's breathing begins to silently accelerate. But, she does, and she finds it doesn't make any sense.

A long moment of pure silence passes, with Hope never once replying to the leader beside her.

"Alright, I see how it is." Eric chuckles wickedly, shaking his head at the girl. He taps his knuckles against the table a few times, and Josie can see a few scattered scabs and bruises that align his hand.

Certainly the two of them aren't friends. From Hope's quick breathing, tense muscles, and resistance of making eye contact with Eric, that fact is proven wrong without a single doubt. Are they rivals? It seems to add up in Josie's mind, but there's something about the way Eric stares with lustful eyes at the auburn-haired girl that rubs her the wrong way. As much as she wants to, she just can't look away from the two of them, as if it's instinctive.

"You know," Eric cocks a brow, his eyes still glaring directly at the shorter girl beside him. "Marcel thinks you've been avoiding him. He keeps asking you to meet up, and you just keep ghosting him for some reason. I think he may want to talk about you joining the leadersh-"

"I'm perfectly fine with the position I'm in now, just as I was the first two times he asked me and I declined. Now, if you will, kindly fuck off." Hope surprisingly speaks with a sharp bark in her tone, her gaze as cold as ice staring directly through Eric.

Eric's smirk falls from his face, and he simply stares back at the auburn-haired girl for a long moment. Finally, he shortly nods before saying, "Well... I'll pass on the message."

When Eric stands from the table and quickly storms off, Hope breaths out a soft sigh, her shoulders instantly slouching in relaxation. The brunette studies her before a sudden act of boldness pushes her to talk.

"Are you... friends with him?" Josie knows the answer is a definite _no way in hell_ , but she still asks. The tense cloud in the air is too much to take any longer.

Hope glances toward her for a brief second, and her ponytail bounces slightly as she shakes her head. "He was in the year above me when I was an initiate, he led the fighting classes sometimes. He transferred from Erudite, must be why he's such a know-it-all _jackass_."

Any thought of being careful and reserved around the girl leaves Josie's head as she can't help but ask another question, finding herself enjoying the sound of Hope's voice more than she'd ever admit out loud.

"Were you a transfer too?"

Hope rolls her eyes, huffing slightly as she turns and glares at the brunette coldly. The question seems to have triggered something, and Josie suddenly wishes she kept her mouth shut. "What's with the Stiff asking so many questions? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you transferred from Candor."

Josie doesn't know where exactly the confidence comes from, but rather than cowering under the callous gaze of the auburn-haired girl, she doesn't back down.

"Sorry," She begins, her tone anything but apologetic. "I forgot I'm just a Stiff with no obligation to anything. It must be because you're so approachable. You know, like a bed of nails."

Hope stares blankly at her, her expression emotionless. Josie doesn't look away, figuring it's useless when she's already made her bed: she might as well sleep in it. Though, she finds the tension is just as thick from when Eric was at the table. It feels suffocating, and despite herself, heat rushes to her cheeks. She hadn't meant to upset the other girl, she just couldn't help the hurt in her chest when the Abnegation slur left Hope's lips.

"Careful." Hope bites out in a whisper before rising from the table and storming out of the dining hall.

This time, she doesn't glance back to Josie.

The brunette can feel the disappointment ache across every inch of her body, and she sighs quietly as she turns back to face her group of friends, or at least she thinks they are. Her eyes pin to the table, the only thought on her mind is one that occurs of distant blue eyes. It's only when Penelope's voice sounds beside her that she glances up.

"Dude, I told you not to fuck with her."

***

Josie blinks the sleep out of her eyes as she adjusts the black t-shirt against her body, walking closely alongside Landon as the entire group of initiates saunter into The Pit.

It's the next day, her first official day in Dauntless. The thought alights something positive and determined within her chest, even if it's dawn and the sun hadn't even finished rising and only five minutes ago was when she was awoken by the excruciating noise of a metal tray banging against rock-hard cement, and Hope's voice yelling, "Everyone in The Pit. Five minutes and not any more than that, unless you want to run laps."

In the middle of The Pit stands a few Dauntless members, and Josie recognizes Hope and Jade as they talk quietly between themselves. Hope wears a black long sleeve that accentuates her chest, and her hair is down, framing her face. The brunette seems to fall in awe at the sight.

Eric then emerges from one of the shadows and sits in a stray seat, leaning back with his arms crossed and his jaw locked tight.

As the group settles in the middle of the room to await instruction, Hope breaks off from her previous conversation and moves to stand in front of the group. Her gaze scans over the initiates, and Josie tries to ignore the way her heart skips a beat when Hope's eyes land on her. It's only for a second, and soon enough, the moment is gone just as quickly as it began. The brunette swallows roughly when Eric speaks from his seated position.

"I'm sure you guys remember me, as I am one of your leaders, but if you don't, my name is Eric. As you do know, Hope will be your instructor, but because we take initiate training very seriously in Dauntless, I will be watching you guys from afar."

The thought of being watched by any Dauntless leader is enough to make Josie nauseous, but the fact that it will be Eric, makes the feeling even worse as it settles in the deepest part of her torso. She tries her best to ignore it, and perks up when Hope speaks.

"Eric's right. Dauntless takes training very seriously, so much so that it is divided into two separate sections, each one being just as important." Hope explains as she walks around the group of initiates, her eyes flickering every so often to each one of them and her boots creating an echo as they make contact with the cement ground.

"The first is physical, lasting five weeks. You'll be pushing your bodies to the breaking point in an attempt to hopefully master the methods of combat. It regards really anything you can think of... like gun shooting, knife throwing, and you'll even be fighting each other. All in fair play, obviously."

Hope continues to explain, her arms crossing in front of her as she stops walking. Again, her blue eyes flicker towards Josie before they leave just as quickly. It leaves her feeling conflicted, but she listens to the older girl intently. "The second stage is mental, lasting another five weeks. You'll be in simulations and we'll be seeing inside your mind as you face your worst fears. Most people have about seven to ten fears, but everyone's different. The goal is to conquer your fears-"

"Unless they get you first." Eric's voice interrupts the auburn-haired girl with a devious smirk.

Hope rolls her eyes as her back faces the blonde leader. She threads a hand through her long auburn locks, flicking her bangs out of her face before speaking again. "Right. You'll be trained separately from the Dauntless-born members but you'll be ranked together, just for comparison. At the end of training, your rankings will determine what jobs you serve out in the city. Like leadership, or guarding the fence, or-"

"Actually, your rankings serve two purposes." Eric stands from his chair as his voice overlaps Hope's, interrupting the girl for the _second_ time. "Like Hope said, it determines your job out in the city, but it also determines who gets cut."

Penelope speaks up at that, her eyes wide as she glances to Josie briefly. "Cut? What the hell does that mean?"

"It means," Eric barks out, his eyes narrowed although his smirk never falters. "at the end of each stage of training, the lowest ranking initiates will be cut from Dauntless. As in... leaving, and there's obviously no going home to your families, so you'd live Factionless."

Pain stabs in the roots of Josie's stomach, feeling her knees weaken at the sight of Eric's _awful_ smirk. She should have known that there would be a catch, especially when it comes to the blonde-haired leader. From the corner of her eye, she can see Penelope with wide eyes, and Landon with an agape mouth.

For a second, there is doubt. It consumes her and begins to eat every inch of her being alive, and she feels herself giving in to it. She's an Abnegation transfer, her odds here are obviously slim compared to the rest of the initiates. The doubt is deafening, but that's when she notices Hope staring at her with an unreadable expression. It's like a reminder, and it causes Josie to straighten her stance and paint over the doubt with confidence. She won't give in to it, she refuses to allow herself to fail.

"That's not fair!" A harsh feminine voice speaks up, and Josie recognizes it as Maya. "Why didn't we know that?"

"Does it matter?" Eric snaps, his jaw tightening as his smirk finally ceases. "Would you have chosen differently, just out of fear? If that's your argument, you might as well book it to the streets now. If you're really Dauntless, it won't matter to you that you might fail. If it does, you are the worst kind of coward."

Josie watches as he comes closer to the group, his steps echoing loudly throughout The Pit as he stomps, and each word sounding thunderous as it leaves his mouth. He stops and glares directly at the brunette, and she shudders when his smirk appears once again.

"You chose us, now we get to choose you."


	5. Chapter 5

All of the initiates stand in a line upon the rooftop, awaiting to begin the first training session of the day. Josie stands between Landon and Penelope in silence, watching as Hope sets two black duffel bags down in the gravel beside her feet, bending down and rummaging through the contents.

After the training initiation speeches in The Pit, Hope had led everyone outside and into an unfamiliar building, only consisting of a dark corridor and a staircase leading upwards, at least fifteen stories high. The climb was quite tedious, and it made the brunette's legs ache more than she'd like, but soon enough it led to the very same rooftop she had volunteered to be the first to jump from.

The breeze outside is slightly chilling, nipping at Josie's bare arms that aren't covered by the black t-shirt she wears. She tries not to stare at the goosebumps forming along her tan skin, and instead glances around to study the large bullseye targets posted along one of the barriers of the rooftop. Her attention shifts elsewhere when Hope suddenly stands from the ground, holding a fair-sized rifle in one hand and one of the black duffel bags in the other.

"For your first training session today, you'll be learning how to shoot a gun. Shooting and fighting skills are the most valuable Dauntless traits, so we'll be spending a lot of time on both until each of you perfect them to the best of your ability."

Hope walks down the line of the initiates, reaching into the duffel bag and thrusting a gun into the hands of each member. Josie takes the rifle with hesitance, the cold metal foreign against her fingertips.

She feels her shoulders slouch in disappointment when the auburn-haired girl doesn't spare her a single glance, only continues to walk.

Josie is well aware she has no right to feel _anything_ when it comes to Hope. There's just always a reason in the back of her mind when her eyes betray her and seemingly chase the older girl at every possible opportunity. She doesn't know what the heavy and warm feeling in her chest means either, only occurring when Hope corrupts her vision. They've barely spoken to each other at all, the only real conversation being the bitter exchange of remarks from yesterday's moment in the dining hall, and yet the brunette still feels herself drawn to the girl for such an _unknown_ reason.

It's beginning to drive her insane.

"As you already know, your initiation training is divided into separate sections by the intention of preparing you for the responsibilities and way of life as a Dauntless soldier, each in a different way. Physical, emotional and psychological, along with a final test at the end of the ten weeks to determine your true worth. Physical is the most important, so it comes first."

"But how..." Jed's voice pipes up through the silence, cutting himself off with a loud yawn. "How does firing a gun have anything to do with _bravery?_ "

In one swift movement that seems to progress quicker than a blink of the eye, Hope flips the rifle in her grasp and pins the barrel harshly against Jed's forehead. Her jaw is locked sharply as the sound of a bullet clicking into place fills the quiet atmosphere. The glare in her eyes could surely kill, Josie thinks, but she can't seem to look away from the sight.

"One slight pull of my finger on this trigger, and you're dead. You'll be nothing but a waste, even more so than you already are now." Hope rasps, the details of her voice sending an unwanted chill down Josie's spine.

Although Jed stands frozen, his jaw agape and his skin flushed pale, Hope's ice cold glare never ceases. "Wake up. You're holding a loaded gun, do yourself a favor and _act like it._ "

Josie swallows roughly at the sight of Hope lowering the gun, brushing the barrel off with the tips of her fingers, an emotionless expression painted across her face. Her eyes shift to Jed, noticing the ignorant boy maintains wide eyes and crimson cheeks. If having the barrel of a loaded gun pressed between his brows wouldn't shut him up, the brunette isn't sure anything else would.

"What you fail to realize, initiate, is the exact detail of what bravery defines. It's the definition of your faction - courage, independence, defense, and protection. You need to know how to defend yourself just as well as defending others, that's _exactly_ what bravery is." Hope's words roll effortlessly off her tongue, and she plants her heels into gravel behind one of the numerous targets. "Watch me, and I'll teach you how."

Josie studies Hope as the older girl adjusts her grip on the rifle, her posture straightening before she takes her aim. The rifle fires only a second later, and the agonizing blast of the bullet is so loud, it makes the brunette's ears ring. She glances up to the bullseye target, finding a single bullet hole cut clean through the middle circle.

Hope takes a few steps back, her face blank as if her clean shot meant nothing at all, and gestures with a wave of her hand for the initiates to step up to the targets.

The rifle in Josie's delicate grip remains foreign, the cold metal chilling her fingertips. She digs her boots into the gravel as she steps up to one of the many targets, keeping them shoulder-width apart. The brunette finds it difficult to focus, the hesitance causing her hands to grow slick, and furrows her brows when her family drifts into her mind.

The nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach must be from the thought of her family. She knows her parents or even her sister would never approve of the brunette _holding_ a gun, let alone firing it. It's not like she ever has before, as Abnegation believed self-defense was a selfish method. The thought makes her wonder if she's even capable of pulling the trigger.

Josie pushes the thoughts from her mind and takes a deep breath as she wraps her fingers around the handle of the gun, tightening her grip. It's a large rifle, making it heavy and a little difficult to raise in the air properly, but she manages. She pins the barrel towards the target in front of her, squeezing the trigger harshly before she has any time to change her mind.

It fires with a sharp force, and once again she's not prepared for the ruthless bang that sounds through the air, mixing in with the sound of other initiates firing their guns. The recoil sends her hands flying backwards, and she barely dodges the rifle coming straight for her face. It's obvious the bullet didn't go anywhere near the target.

Josie forces herself to grip the rifle tightly once more, firing _again_ and _again_ and _again_.

The bullets continue to stray far away from the bullseye, and the brunette glances around to find a few initiates have managed to hit close to the middle of the target, even Landon and Penelope. A burst of jealous flames fulfills her chest at the sight.

Josie takes a deep breath before beginning to raise the rifle to her chest once more, until she's suddenly cut off by a familiar voice sounding softly into her ear, a presence so close behind her that a chill electrifies her spine.

"There's no need to doubt yourself."

She jerks her head quickly enough for her hair to whip around her shoulder, and blinks roughly at the sight of Hope staring at her. The auburn-haired girl's arms are crossed over her chest and her brows are raised, and the brunette feels insecurity surge through her body like a tidal wave.

"I'm sorry?" Josie's barely able to mutter the two words beneath the strong gaze of the other girl.

Hope smirks slightly before stepping forward, her fingers delicately grazing Josie's hands gripped tightly on the rifle with hesitance, as if asking for permission. "May I?"

Hope lowers the rifle from the close proximity it holds with Josie's chest and positions it forward, aligning it properly with the brunette's forearm. She then shifts Josie's fingers to spread out evenly on the handle, and pulls on them slightly in order to loosen the grip. The brunette isn't able to stop herself, for whatever unknown reason, from biting her lip subtly at the contact of their hands.

"Not so close to your chest, if it recoils too hard, it will hurt like a bitch." Hope explains, before stepping back from the close position and smiling fondly. "I can see the fear in your eyes, you know. Take a deep breath... fire your next shot with confidence."

The kindness of the older girl causes a warm spark to erupt in her chest, but Josie forces herself to ignore the intoxicating feeling and simply nods before turning back to the target in front of her. Josie can still feel Hope behind her as she looks through the scope, and takes a deep breath before squeezing the trigger hard.

The recoil is still excruciating, making her hands fly back but her feet manage to stay planted to the gravel. Glancing to the target eagerly, a grin forms on Josie's face when she spots a bullet hole on the very edge of the bullseye.

The newfound energy coursing through her veins gives her courage to turn back to Hope, the smile on her face surely bright.

Hope just smirks, an unreadable glint shining in her blue eyes. "Always remember to believe in yourself, Josie." She murmurs almost too quietly before quickly walking off.

***

Soon enough, the break for lunch arrives, but all Josie can think about is the throbbing coursing through both her arms from holding up the hulking rifle for so long, and the way her fingers are oddly difficult to straighten. The brunette walks through the dining hall alongside Penelope and Landon, not bothering to engage in their enthusiastic conversation as they find an open table.

Josie absentmindedly shifts the fruit on her plate back and forth with her fork, allowing her thoughts to swim. She furrows her brows deeply when the aptitude test drifts into her mind.

If she's honest, the thought has always been there, like a constant reminder that she's a _dangerous mistake_ , just like Tori had told her with utmost seriousness. It feels as if it's been branded to the brunette's face, and if she just so happens to turn a certain angle, it will gleam and reveal itself to everyone around her.

No issues have occurred thus far, but that doesn't stop Josie from worrying, even if she has no clue what exactly to worry about. Tori had told her nothing about divergence, or what even makes the result dangerous. It's not like she can ask a fellow initiate about divergence, either. The risk of letting her guard down and being found is too high, the fear of what might happen like a constant shadow lurking over her.

"I'm just saying, I would hate to ever get on her bad side. I'm surprised she hasn't actually killed that Jed kid by now."

Landon's worrisome voice causes Josie's head to snap up, her eyes shifting to the smirk on Penelope's face.

"What?" Josie asks with an awkward chuckle, causing both Penelope and Landon to glance towards her.

"Oh, please tell me you've noticed what a bombshell our instructor is." Penelope laughs, her brows raised questioningly.

"Yeah," Landon nods, his mouth forming a deep frown. "a borderline _psychotic_ bombshell."

"Psychotic? More like totally _badass!_ " Penelope declares with a serious tone, although her eyes are swimming with humor. "You have to admit though, that kid did have it coming. He really doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut."

Landon shrugs, still frowning deeply as he shakes his head towards both girls. "I don't disagree, but still..." He pauses, before quietly adding, "she scares me."

Penelope can't help but laugh loudly at Landon's confession, causing the boy to let out a loud _she does_ , which only makes the girl cackle even harder.

Josie smiles at the sight, finding the laughter about the subject to be contagious, but her expression ceases a moment later when Penelope glances straight at her with questioning eyes and a taunting smirk. "So, tell me your thoughts on the hot and mysterious instructor. But, please don't tell me she scares you too."

_The hot and mysterious instructor._

_Hope._

Josie wishes with everything in her that she could deny the uncertain attraction she feels, but quite frankly, it's impossible. She doesn't know what to make of it, either. She doesn't know what exactly it means, how the older girl always seems to drift into her mind, one way or another, no matter the time. Whether it's the beauty of the girl, or the familiar feeling Josie receives when she's in Hope's presence, there must be a reason she's all the brunette's mind consists of lately.

The girl seems dangerous to everyone else, more likely than not, but Josie can't help but remember the way a soft sincerity fulfilled in Hope's blue eyes each time she had caught her gaze. The way Josie had been the only one to be offered help from the auburn-haired girl during the morning's training session, although some other initiates had also struggled with shooting the rifle at first.

"Um..." Josie hesitates, gnawing at her bottom lip. Both Landon and Penelope are peering at her questioningly, awaiting an answer, and the brunette truly wants to slap herself from her lack of speech.

A million thoughts all consisting of Hope flicker throughout her mind like an endless slideshow, each one containing too much observation and detail than she'd ever dare to admit out loud, especially to anyone else but herself.

She clears her throat, beginning to mutter out a pathetic _she's cool_ , when suddenly a new presence makes itself known at their table, and Josie has never been so thankful to be interrupted.

"Hey, could I sit here?" MG asks as he politely smiles, tapping the tabletop lightly with his knuckles.

" _Aw_ , what happened with you and your Erudite buddies?" Penelope pouts dramatically as she peers up towards the boy.

"They're not my buddies." MG scoffs out a laugh, setting his tray down on the table and taking a seat beside Landon. "Just because we transferred from the same faction, doesn't mean we all get along. Besides, Ethan's obliviousness to Alyssa's flirting is honestly embarrassing."

Josie glances to a far table to spot the two Erudite transfers, Ethan and Alyssa. The girl is smiling, leaning in and staring longingly at the boy, who simply seems nonchalant as he talks to her, no other clear motives in his expression. The brunette can see what MG had been referring to, it really is embarrassing.

"Why do some people have to be so public?" Josie mutters with distaste before she can stop herself.

"It's just flirting." MG chuckles, raising his brows at the brunette. "I mean, at least she's not stripping naked."

"It's just... something like that should be sacred. Intimacy and affection is supposed to be special, she shouldn't be so public and desperate about it." Josie finishes her statement with a confident nod, only to see Penelope, MG, and Landon all sending her the same sort of smirk. She shifts uncomfortably beneath the undesired attention. "What?"

"Your Abnegation is showing." Penelope snickers, teasingly nudging the brunette's shoulder with her own. "A little affection in public isn't so bad to the rest of us, we've never really thought twice about it in our factions. Well, at least for Candor and Erudite. Landon, did Amity ever get freaky?"

Landon blushes furiously as he shakes his head, earning laughter from the rest of them. "Y-Yeah... sometimes."

"Damn." Penelope's eyes widen, her smile growing. "That's surprising."

"I guess I'll have to get used to it." Josie shrugs lightly, although still believing intimacy to be sacred. Even if her faction hadn't hidden all forms of romance, she still thinks she would believe in the deserved privacy of such a thing. It's not like she's ever had the opportunity to experience, though.

"Or, you could stay frigid." MG says, his eyes gleaming with the utmost form of mischief. "Nobody's judging you."

Penelope rolls her eyes, tossing a dinner roll from her plate at the boy, only for it to be caught and eaten in an instant. "Don't be such an ass. Frigidity is in her nature, just like being a _know-it-all_ is in yours."

"I am _not_ frigid!" Josie huffs, pouting with her arms crossed.

"Josie, it's okay if you are. It's endearing, really." Landon says gently as he smiles.

"Look, she's all red!" MG laughs loudly, pointing to the brunette. It's a teasing action more so than a direct attack, and the comment only makes Josie's face grow warmer in embarrassment.

Penelope seems to feel sympathy for Josie, opting to grasp her hand comfortingly, which catches her attention. "So, back to what we _were_ talking about, before the know-it-all joined us. What do you think of Hope?"

Josie internally curses herself, the opportunity of avoiding the conversation now ceased. Everyone's attention is on her, their gazes mirroring needles pricking at every inch of her skin. The spotlight or attention of any kind has never been her strong suite.

“Um..." She squeaks out after an _eternity_ of silence. "she's cool, I guess." Thankfully, before Penelope has a spare second to notice the deep crimson blush painted across Josie's cheeks, a voice perks up from across the table.

"Hope?" MG urgently questions as he leans forward in his seat. "As in our instructor?"

"Exactly." Penelope nods, smirking a bit before her tone becomes serious. "You think she's hot too, right?"

"Only an idiot would disagree with that." MG chuckles at the raven-haired girl's question, opening his mouth to say something else before he's quickly interrupted.

"So, I'm like the only one that thinks she's crazy?" Landon scowls, his eyes flickering anxiously between the members of the table. "She choked a kid with his own tie! _And_ pointed a gun at his head!"

"He had it coming!" Penelope scoffs at the curly-headed boy across from her. "You really need to stop acting so uptight." A moment passes before she gasps, a smile tugging at her lips.

"You and Josie are _literally_ frigid soulmates!"

Laughter sounds from around the table, and Josie shakes her head, finding it increasingly difficult not to smile, especially at the sight of Landon burying his face inside his black jacket to hide a very noticeable blush.

"You guys do know about Hope, right?" MG questions once the laughter subsides, his brows raised. "Landon's kind of right about her to some extent."

"Know _what_ about her?" Josie blurts out, her intrigued state probably seeming dramatic from a different perspective, but she doesn't care. She had to let the question escape her mouth before she had even a second to choke it down and forget about it.

"If the way she stood up against that Jed kid indicated anything, it's that she obviously doesn't like to be treated like a joke." Penelope laughs shortly. "I think she's a badass. She defies every stereotype in the book, what else is there to know?"

"Well, she definitely doesn't like to be messed with, and for a good reason." MG says gravely. "She ranked first in her class two years ago, and she's supposedly the highest ranking initiate in the history of Dauntless. One of the leaders, Marcel, has tried to recruit her for leadership like _three_ times, but she always says no."

The boy dressed in black glances around for a moment, and lowers his voice before speaking again. "Rumor even has it that she had a thing with Eric."

Josie knits her brows together, her chest tightening when the last sentence sinks within her mind. Just processing the simple sentence, about a girl she knows nothing about, manages to burn every inch of her skin, the flames devouring her entire being. There's no possible way that's true, it couldn't be. The brunette could practically hear the pulsing of her heart, and for what reason, she's completely clueless.

"That's insane." Penelope shakes her head, although she doesn't seem to disagree. She furrows her brows deeply at the boy. "How do you even know all that already? You transferred with us."

MG shrugs as he deadpans. "You'd be surprised just how much Dauntless likes to gossip... especially about Hope."

There's no possible way Hope would waste her time on someone like Eric, is there? The brunette begins to wonder if that's the very reason why the older girl was so uncomfortable within his presence in the dining hall yesterday. It causes Josie to reminisce of the details of the auburn-haired girl's actions. The visible shaking of Hope's fingers, her accelerated breathing, the way she flinched and jerked when Eric had tried to touch her, the bitter coldness of her tone when she spoke to him. It simply doesn't make any sense.

It _has_ to mean something else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been two weeks or so since i last updated and i swear i didn't die lmao. i had a little writers block, mainly due to trying to focus on finishing the school year. thankfully i finished (with good grades yay) and now i can focus on this fic! the next chapter will be much longer i promise, i just wanted to get this out asap :)


	6. Chapter 6

Lunch in the dining hall passes by rather swiftly, and Josie soon finds herself among the rest of the initiates being led by Hope to a new place. They pass through the busy corridors of The Pit, beyond the river and enter an unfamiliar room.

The room is quite large, and somewhat cold in temperature. The brunette spots a set of open doors on the far end of the room, and figures the breeze blowing in must be the reason why. Blinding white lights hang from the ceiling in a few areas, while the remaining areas cast dark shadows throughout the room.

Josie figures this area must have been a gymnasium at one point, as the wooden floor beneath her creaks slightly with every few steps the initiates all take, and the panels of wood are distressed.

There are two large mats directly in the center of the room, the bright lights of the ceiling highlighting each of them. Hanging at three-foot intervals along one side of the room are black punching bags. She glances toward the opposite side to find a chalkboard hung onto a pole, names listed in three different rows.

As Hope leads the initiates to the center of the room, Josie notices two figures standing upon one of the large mats. A familiar head of blonde hair leads her to recognize one of them as Jade, but she doesn't know who the other could be. He has a dark complexion and short black hair, a soft yet firm face that makes him seemingly young.

Hope stands beside Jade and the unnamed boy upon the mat, and Josie stops along with the rest of the initiates directly in front of it. The auburn-haired girl talks in a hushed voice with the two Dauntless members for a moment.

Jade says something in an equally quiet voice with a small smile, and Josie figures it must have been humorous, as Hope lets out a soft giggle before turning back towards the initiates. She appears to quickly try and suppress her smile in front of the group, but the brunette recognizes it without a doubt, finding herself charmed at the sight and wishing it wasn't so foreign.

"Moving into the next part of your physical training," Hope explains as she crosses her bare arms against her chest. "you'll be learning how to fight. The purpose of this is to prepare your body to act, and respond to threats and challenges you will inevitably face in Dauntless."

If Josie's honest, she hadn't even began to think of her potential future in the faction, not since Eric had revealed the possible consequence of failing training. All she can think about is forcing herself to give all she's got in order to make it through initiation. There's no way she'll allow herself to fail, being Factionless isn't an option.

Hope turns slightly to face Jade and the unnamed boy behind her, gesturing towards them with a gentle nod of her head. "You guys know Jade, and next to her is Rafael. They'll be helping me today with going over fighting technique, preparing you for your first fights with each other tomorrow. I'd strongly suggest that all of you watch closely, those who don't learn fast _will_ get hurt."

Hope jumps off the mat, opting to stand beside one of the punching bags and away from the initiates. "So, these two are going to fight and demonstrate some different moves. I'll be naming each one, and you'll need to know them, so pay attention."

Rafael and Jade face each other from opposite ends of the mat, playful smiles on their faces as if they're taunting each other. They begin to simultaneously walk around the mat in a circle at a slow pace, never taking their eyes off the other as their arms are put out in front of them in a shielding formation.

Their fists, each wrapped with black bandages presumably designed for fighting, are prepped in the air. The circling movements last for a few seconds, until the trash talk begins.

"You alright, Jade?" Rafael asks, although the smirk on his face proves his question to be the opposite of sincere. "You look a little scared."

" _I'm_ scared?" Jade laughs in disbelief, shaking her head. "Yeah, right. I've kicked your ass before, remember? I'm not afraid to do it again." She daringly takes a rather quick step towards him, causing him to back up a little too swiftly for someone seemingly confident.

"Stop playing with each other!" Hope calls out in a tone that doesn't seem truly angry, as she's smiling towards the two on the mat. Josie assumes, by the way they all interact, that the three of them must all be close friends.

Jade nods, glancing towards the taller boy as she steps back from the center of the mat. "You heard the boss."

Rafael steps back onto the mat, his arms coming up once again to shield his chest, his clenched fists aligned with his jaw. The trash talk ceases and they begin to circle each other once more, growing closer and closer together with every step.

Josie watches with anticipation and a slight sense of adrenaline at each movement the two Dauntless members make, to Jade's careful composure or Rafael's eyes flickering across the blonde's body every few seconds, as if he's waiting for her to make the first move.

It's not long before Rafael surprisingly makes the first move, tossing his fist in an upwards motion directly into Jade's abdomen, too quickly for the blonde to dodge it, and harshly enough that a soft grunt escapes her mouth.

"That was called an uppercut." Hope says, glancing towards the group of initiates as she labels Rafael's punch, and Josie forces herself to ignore the entranced feeling she receives when the older girl's gaze settles directly onto her. It's only for a second, but the brunette could've sworn hours had just passed.

Rafael's first uppercut is followed by the boy attempting to produce the same move with his opposite fist, however, Jade acts quickly to catch his fist within her own, the other thrusting directly at his face and making fierce contact with his jaw.

The impact causes the Dauntless boy to stumble away from her, a grimace of pain shadowed across his face.

"That was called a hook." Hope calls out.

The next few moments are filled with a mixture of Jade and Rafael performing the previously named punches and even a few kicks, each one easily dodged or caught by the other.

Although the both of them are clearly putting effort into the fight, they still seem to keep friendly energy and offer smiles every so often. Josie has to admit, the amount of anticipation she feels while watching the two of them fight manages to surprise her.

Josie would have never guessed something of this nature would have interested her to such an extent, being Abnegation-born, but then again, something had definitely came over her during the Choosing Ceremony that was obviously apart of the deepest roots of her subconscious. Apart of something within her mind that she truly doesn't understand.

_Something_ within her knew that this faction was her destiny, and although she's not sure of the exact meaning right now, she knows it will make sense in time. Despite her fears, there's a reason she never seemed to fit into Abnegation, a reason she always felt so out of place her entire life, a reason she chose Dauntless.

"Jade, I think he's taking it easy on you." Hope says, her tone dripping with playful accusation. Josie glances toward her to find a smirk painted across the girl's face as she peers up towards her friends on the elevated fighting mat.

"You know Raf's got a soft spot for us." Jade laughs, sending a teasing smile towards Rafael, who only shakes his head with a short chuckle.

Rafael doesn't say anything, only studies the blonde girl in front of him for a moment. He suddenly hurls his left leg through the air and towards the direction of Jade's ribs, but she dodges it with ease before catching his calf in a tight grip and tugging harshly.

It catches Rafael off guard, as the single tug was enough to send him hurtling towards the ground, the impact of his back slamming against the mat echoing throughout the large room.

Jade straddles Rafael's limp body before he has any time to lift from the ground, her knee digging deeply into the boy's neck. He makes a few rugged choking sounds, and the blonde's hands pin his fists to the mat, stopping him from being able to push her off.

"That was a _failed_ roundhouse kick." Hope laughs humorlessly before quickly stepping onto the fighting mat to get a closer look at her two friends. She studies them for a moment, muttering something beneath her breath before she places a hand on Jade's shoulder. "Time!"

Jade lifts up from the ground, breathing a little heavy as she offers her hand out. Rafael grasps her hand and pulls himself up, his throat clearing a few times as he attempts to catch his breath. "Damn, woman."

"Told you I'd beat your ass again." Jade snickers.

***

After Jade and Rafael finished their demonstrative brawl, Hope had advised the group of initiates to find a punching bag and begin practicing the fighting moves they were just shown.

The punches and kicks they had demonstrated seemed fairly simple, but Josie finds it's actually a lot more difficult than she thought. Like shooting the gun, it takes her more than a mere moment to figure out how to position her hands, or how to move her body properly.

She had never engaged in any sort of serious physical activity before, so when she attempts to practice hits against the punching bag, she finds the contact between the tough leather and her fragile hands pains her more than she'd care for. The skin of her hands flushes a deep shade of red from the welting as a stinging sensation fulfills her nerves.

Even through the brunette's dedicated effort and what she thinks is a hard enough punch, the bag barely moves at all.

Josie's full attention shifts and she grows slightly distracted when she spots Hope wandering around the initiates, studying each of them as they practice different combinations of punches or kicks. She forces herself to look away, pretending she doesn't notice when the auburn-haired girl slowly comes up behind her.

The older girl's gaze seems to light her on fire, and Josie seems to forget for a moment that breathing is a requirement. She attempts a harsh punch against the bag, biting her lip to prevent herself from making a sound at the burning sensation that erupts through her hand. Her chest tightens at the sight of Hope staring at her, the girl's eyes pinned onto her body, flickering from head to toe and not particularly lingering anywhere specific.

Hope's eyes settle onto the brunette's bruised hands, and it's then she decides to speak. "You're weak."

At the critical comment, Josie knits her brows in offence. A sense of hesitation stops her from opening her mouth to retort, until she bravely pushes it aside.

"Thanks." Josie snarks, her lips involuntarily tugging into a sarcastic smirk as she glares at the girl. A brief thought of _where the hell did that come from_ flashes through her mind before it's interrupted by a seemingly panicked Hope.

" _No_ , I just meant..." Hope begins swiftly, but tapers off just as fast, biting her lip as she appears conflicted. Whatever the auburn-haired girl had just begun to say, she seems to think better of, as the apologetic tone from before vanishes quickly. "You don't have a lot of muscle right now. You need to use your whole body, and put more power behind it."

Before Josie can even blink, Hope's hand crosses over the short distance between the two and presses flat against the brunette's stomach, gripping softly just above her hip. Josie's eyes widen for a few seconds, freezing beneath the warm touch. She stares directly into Hope's eyes, feeling submissive beneath the strong gaze that's exceptionally close to her own. Her heart pounds like a sledgehammer against her chest, feeling short of breath.

"Don't forget to keep tension here." Hope nearly whispers, her voice sporting a slight husk that seems more rough than normal. "You're a lot faster than the others, so you could easily win as long as you attack first."

Josie simply nods, fully aware that the sight of this interaction wouldn't appear at all professional to anyone else. Hope's hand still grips the brunette's stomach where her shirt had ridden up slightly, the warmth of it feeling as dangerous as fire.

A second later, Hope quickly reverts her hand and doesn't spare Josie another glance before walking away.

Josie feels the pressure of the older girl's hand even after she's disappeared out of sight, and the brunette has to take a deep breath before she begins practicing again, the advice she received from the girl playing like a record in her mind.

***

A few hours pass by in an excruciatingly long manner before Hope dismisses the initiates for dinner.

Josie absentmindedly massages her knuckles as she walks, the stinging and burning of her hands just as relevant from when she was punching the bag. She jumps in shock when a shoulder nudges against her own, and she turns her head quickly to see Penelope and Landon beginning to walk with her down the hallway.

"I'm surprised Hope didn't shatter you in half." Penelope raises her brows with a slight grin, as if it was humorous.

Josie instantly blushes at the statement, reminiscing of the very distinct feeling of Hope's warm touch upon her exposed stomach. "You saw that?"

Penelope nods slowly, glancing at the brunette with a sly glint shining in her eyes.

"She still scares me." Landon says blatantly, shaking his head. "It's that quiet voice she uses."

"Yeah, she's..." Josie hesitates, sighing beneath her breath as a million thoughts of the older girl all rest upon the tip of her tongue, begging to be said aloud. She chokes it down and clears her throat as if to erase them from existence. "really intimidating."

It's surely not a lie, not in the slightest. Josie wonders why exactly she isn't scared of Hope like Landon says he is. From choking a boy at least a foot taller than her with his own tie, to pointing a loaded gun at the same boy's forehead, the brunette should have plenty of reasons to be frightened of the girl.

Hope may be intimidating, reserved, and impressively self-possessed, but Josie can't ignore the delirium she feels around the older girl. The longing she truly wishes she could explore, a list of questions she feels desperate to find answers for. A familiar sense she truly can't explain.

Josie remains blindly disoriented in her own thoughts until Penelope loudly calling her name abruptly pulls her back in.

"What?" Josie asks quietly, blushing beneath the questioning gaze of the raven-haired girl. Even Landon peers at her curiously, clearly caught on that the brunette was so zoned out from the conversation that she hadn't even noticed the new presence of MG.

"Landon suggested we all get tattoos tomorrow."

"Really?" Josie can't help but sound surprised, her eyes flickering between the three bright smiles of her friends - she thinks she can call them that now - as if to encourage her to be on board with the idea. She's honestly not sure how to feel about it, nobody in Abnegation or any other faction besides Dauntless ever had tattoos.

Landon nods with a short laugh, although it seems a little distance. "Yeah. I guess I just really want to feel like I left my old faction. I want to stop feeling sad all the time, knowing my family hates me for wanting to choose who I really am and abandoning Amity. I want to feel proud of myself, like I'm growing into someone better."

The honest vent from the curly-haired boy takes Josie off guard, along with everyone else. Penelope sends him a sympathetic smile, and MG places a hand on the boy's shoulder comfortingly.

"I think he's right." MG admits with a shrug.

Penelope nods, glancing towards Josie for a moment before explaining. "I think maybe it could be good for all of us. It could help us signify a new beginning, and definitely make us look more like actual Dauntless."

Josie ponders for a moment before ultimately deciding she truly adores the idea. The feeling of being held back from embracing her new faction had occurred to her more than once, and she figures she's got nothing to lose. "Okay, yeah... I like it. We're with you, Landon."

Josie returns the thankful grin she receives from Landon as all the initiates saunter past the entrance of the dining hall. During the short walk towards their usual table, the brunette decides to allow one thought, a proclaim, out in the open.

"Just a tattoo, though." Josie declares, her eyes pinned to the mischievous smirk on Penelope's face as she sits down at the table. "No cutting any of our hair, or piercing our faces."

"Fine." Penelope groans sarcastically. "I guess I'll get my nose pierced by myself."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed this chapter, hosie might be getting more steamy pretty soon. you didn't hear it from me though. 
> 
> also, i may or may not be working on another au fic right now? i was watching a certain gay movie for like the hundredth time (you get no hints, sorry) and thought huh what a great fic idea. so expect that very soon, unless i lose my motivation for it. we'll see.


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